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Expandly Blog

UK Exports Reach £946.6 Billion: EU Trade Up 2.3% in the Year to May 2026

ONS data published on 29 July 2026 shows exports to the EU up 2.3% year-on-year, with total UK export value at £946.6 billion.

In This Article

01 What the export data shows
02 EU trade is still growing
03 Why the UK entry point works
04 The size of the UK market
05 What this means for expansion

Key Takeaways

► EU exports from the UK rose 2.3% to May 2026.
► UK total export value reached £946.6 billion.
► Trade data supports the UK-as-entry-point expansion model.
► UK online spending alone reached £118.5 billion in 2025.

UK total export value reached £946.6 billion in the 12 months to May 2026, according to ONS data published on 29 July 2026. Exports to the EU were up 2.3% year-on-year. UK-EU trade is growing, not contracting.

£946.6bn Total UK export value in the 12 months to May 2026, with exports to the EU up 2.3% year-on-year. Source: ONS, 29 July 2026.

The data matters as a signal for US brands assessing UK and EU market entry. The UK exports figure covers goods and services moving from UK-based operations into international markets, including the EU. The 2.3% EU export growth confirms that UK businesses operating across both markets are finding the trade corridor continues to function and expand despite the post-Brexit regulatory environment.

For US brands that establish UK in-market operations and then extend into EU markets, this is the established pattern: the UK as the entry point, the EU as the scale opportunity. The ONS data confirms this trade direction remains active and growing.

The approach to £946.6 billion in total export value also reflects the scale of UK trade activity. For ecommerce brands, the UK market itself, at £118.5 billion in online consumer spending in 2025, is substantial independently of the EU opportunity. UK plus EU represents a combined consumer market of significant size for US brands with proven product-market fit at home.

Building the UK operation first and extending it into the EU second is the order Expandly sequences market entry in.

Expandly helps US ecommerce brands expand into Europe — compliance, marketplaces and fulfilment, all handled. We’ve supported 2,000+ brands make the move.

Find out more
  • VAT registration handled across UK, Germany, Netherlands and all EU markets
  • EU fulfilment from our Netherlands warehouse — fast access to the whole continent
  • Amazon EU, bol.com, Zalando and DTC integrations — all channels, one platform
  • IOSS registration and management for DTC shipments under €150
  • Dedicated onboarding, compliance and success team alongside the platform
  • 17 years' experience, 2000+ brands expanded — Andy Hooper, Founder

The bigger picture

UK-EU trade keeps growing the corridor is open

UK-EU export growth of 2.3% in the year to May 2026 runs counter to the idea that Brexit permanently damaged the corridor. For a US brand the complication is that the UK and EU are now two separate regulatory regimes, so a growing trade flow does not mean one setup covers both. Expandly's compliance-first onboarding starts with UK registration and product compliance, then extends that same operation into EU VAT, EPR and in-market fulfilment rather than rebuilding it. Sequencing the two that way keeps the EU step an extension of a working operation rather than a second launch built under deadline pressure.

  • The UK is Expandly's primary entry market: compliance, logistics and marketplace setup there build the operational foundation that EU expansion extends
  • EU reset negotiations between the UK and EU are ongoing, and progress on mutual recognition of conformity assessments would further reduce the overhead of running both operations from a single base
  • The £946.6 billion total export figure reflects UK-based businesses actively serving international markets, so US brands entering via the UK join an established outbound trade infrastructure

UK Online Consumer Spending

The UK is a substantial market before the EU opportunity is counted at all. For a US brand that makes a UK entry defensible on its own numbers rather than only as a stepping stone.

£118.5bn

UK consumers spent £118.5 billion online in 2025, up 2.8% on 2024. Source: Ecommerce News UK

European Ecommerce Revenue

Europe is the scale opportunity that UK operations extend into, not a like-for-like copy of the UK setup. Selling there means separate VAT registration, EPR obligations and in-market fulfilment on top of whatever already runs in the UK.

US$895bn

European ecommerce revenues in 2026, growing at 7.7% CAGR. Source: ECDB E-Commerce in Europe 2026 Report

UK and EU. One Engagement.

The UK and EU are entirely separate regulatory environments with different VAT, EPR and product standards regimes. Expandly manages both in a single engagement, one point of contact across two sets of markets.

2,000+

brands expanded with Expandly

If this sounds like your world,
let's talk.

Expandly helps US ecommerce brands expand into Europe — compliance, marketplaces and fulfilment, all handled.

Self-Serve

  • £1,150/month
  • Platform-led with email support
  • Best for: $1M–$5M brands

Guided

  • £3,000/month
  • Dedicated Account Manager
  • Best for: $5M–$20M brands

VIP

  • £5,000/month
  • Dedicated VIP Consultant
  • Best for: $20M–$50M+ brands
See full pricing and what's included