UK trade in goods by declared currency of invoice: methodology notes
Published 23 April 2026
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-trade-in-goods-by-declared-currency-of-invoice-2025/uk-trade-in-goods-by-declared-currency-of-invoice-methodology-notes
Data sources
Data received through the administrative Customs system for trade movements between the UK and other countries includes currency of invoice declared. This release reports on the currency used.
UK exports
For goods moving from 1 January 2021, Great Britain including England, Scotland and Wales (GB) EU export statistics have been compiled directly from customs export declarations made according to the requirements of the Taxation (Cross Border Trade) Act. These declarations include the currency used on the invoice for the export. Intrastat survey returns, however, continued to be collected for goods exported from Northern Ireland (NI) to the EU, under the terms of the Windsor Framework. From 1 January 2021, HMRC can report on the currencies used for UK exports to non-EU countries and GB exports to EU member states. Data is not available on NI exports to the EU, this is captured under ‘no currency declared’. In previous releases, data relating to exports for periods prior to 2021 is for exports to non-EU countries only.
UK imports
For goods moving from 1 January 2022, EU to GB import statistics have been compiled directly from customs import declarations made according to the requirements of the Taxation (Cross Border Trade) Act. These declarations include the currency used on the invoice for the export. Intrastat survey returns, however, continued to be collected for goods imported from the EU to NI, under the terms of the Windsor Framework.
From 1 January 2022, HMRC can report on the currencies used for UK imports from non-EU countries and GB imports from EU member states. Data is not available on NI imports from the EU, this is captured under ‘no currency declared’. In previous releases, data relating to imports for periods prior to 2022 is for imports from non-EU countries only.
Non-response estimates
For trade compiled from Intrastat, non-response estimates are calculated where businesses fail to provide Intrastat returns by the required deadline, or when the value of the return is substantially lower than expected (so a further declaration is likely). These are included in published UK overseas trade in goods statistics values but not in the total trade values in this release. This is because they do not relate to a declaration.
Summary
2025 data are provisional estimates.
Percentages are rounded to the nearest decimal place.
Only data received through the administrative customs data collection has currency of invoice declared.
Trade collected via Intrastat (NI trade with EU countries) is included in ‘no currency declared’ as currency is not collected.
‘No currency declared’ also includes trade reported through separate systems, such as parcel post and some mineral fuels.
Corrections to the 2024 figures as published in the UK overseas trade in goods statistics (OTS) release on 15th January 2026 have been applied to this release and 2024 figures reflect the amended data.
The effect this change (and other regular updates) has made on the 2024 data published previously is shown in the table below.
Table 1: Percentage point change between 2024 initial estimate and final value
| Flow | US dollar (%) |
Pound sterling (%) |
Euro (%) | Chinese yuan (%) |
Canadian dollar (%) |
No currency declared (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exports | -0.8 | -0.5 | -0.3 | 0.0 | not included | 1.8 |
| Imports | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.1 | not included | 0.0 | 0.5 |
Download table 1: Percentage point change between initial estimate and final value (ODS, 8.6 KB)
Source: UK overseas trade in goods statistics from HM Revenue & Customs
Official statistics publication
Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR).
OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.
This publication is based on the methodologies of the OTS, which were independently reviewed by the OSR in October 2010 with publication of the report in February 2011. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics.
Updates to the 2025 figures as published in the OTS release on 16 April 2026 have not been applied to this release due to production lead-in times.
You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards by emailing uktradeinfo@hmrc.gov.uk.
Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.