United Kingdom Trade Balance: -1,353 GBP mn (February 2020)
United Kingdom Trade Balance came in at -1,353 on Apr 9, 2020, compared with 2,412 previously. See the full release history, chart, Bank of England context, and API access for this series.
- Actual
- -1,353
- Previous
- 2,412
- Forecast
- --
- Next release
- Nov 12, 2026
February 2020
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United Kingdom Trade Balance release chart
Readings leading into this release, with this print highlighted. Hover or tap a point for its value.
United Kingdom Trade Balance release analysis
What the release showed
United Kingdom Trade Balance came in at -1,353 in the release of Apr 9, 2020, down 3,765 from 2,412.
How it compares
This is the lowest reading in the 3 releases shown since January 2020.
The series rose in 1 and fell in 1 of those release-to-release moves.
Why Trade Balance matters for GBP
Trade surpluses require foreign buyers to acquire gbp to pay for United Kingdom exports, creating structural demand for the currency. Large and persistent deficits can create sustained downward pressure on the gbp.
How to read it
A widening trade surplus or a narrowing deficit is broadly gbp-positive. A deteriorating trade balance—especially driven by weaker export volumes—may signal slowing global demand and can weigh on the gbp.
What to watch next
The next United Kingdom Trade Balance release is due on Nov 12, 2026.
- Energy-trade dynamics for net energy importers vs exporters
- Terms of trade swings driving the deficit / surplus path
- Seasonal patterns in goods trade
- Re-exports distorting headline trade flows (Singapore, NL)
Recent United Kingdom Trade Balance releases
Each release with the date it was published. Full history
| Released | Period | Actual | Previous | Forecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 13, 2020 | March 2020 | 1,332 | -1,353 | -- |
| Apr 9, 2020 | February 2020 | -1,353 | 2,412 | -- |
| Mar 11, 2020 | January 2020 | 2,412 | 7,773 | -- |
Get United Kingdom Trade Balance data as soon as it is published
This page shows the most recent releases. The API serves the full United Kingdom Trade Balance history and every other series we cover, with each row stamped with the time the official source published it.
- Full release history with actual, previous and reference period on every row.
- Publication timestamps on each announcement, so backtests only use data that was public at the time.
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Start Free Trial Read the API referenceGET https://api.fxmacrodata.com/v1/announcements/gbp/trade_balance
import requests
resp = requests.get(
"https://api.fxmacrodata.com/v1/announcements/gbp/trade_balance",
headers={"X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
timeout=30,
)
rows = resp.json()["data"]
print(rows[-1])Match this release by announcement_id gbp_trade_balance_2020-02-29. Forecasts for the same release: /v1/predictions/gbp/trade_balance.
Release data snapshot
Citation fields for this announcement.
| Public release ID | gbp_trade_balance_2020-04-09 |
|---|---|
| API announcement ID | gbp_trade_balance_2020-02-29 |
| Release time |
2020-04-09 06:00 UTC
|
| Reference period date | 2020-02-29 |
| Actual value | -1,353 |
| Previous value | 2,412 |
| Forecast | -- |
| Surprise | -- |
More United Kingdom Trade Balance releases
Move through adjacent announcement records for the same series.
Related United Kingdom indicators
Continue from this release into adjacent macro series for the same country.
Consumer Confidence
Survey-based measure of consumers' confidence in economic conditions, employment prospects, and personal finances.
Core Inflation
CPI excluding volatile items like food and energy.
Current Account Balance
Measures trade in goods and services and income flows.
Exports of Goods & Services
Total exports reported by ABS (AUD millions), quarterly based on national accounts.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Gross domestic product: the total value of goods and services produced in the economy, its broadest measure of activity. Depending on the country, the headline series is published as a level or as a growth rate; the unit shown with each series says which.
Imports of Goods & Services
Total imports reported by ABS (AUD millions), quarterly based on national accounts.
Common questions about this release
The value, its publication time, the next scheduled date, and the official publisher for United Kingdom Trade Balance.
What did United Kingdom Trade Balance come in at, and how did it compare with the forecast and the previous reading?
United Kingdom Trade Balance was -1,353 GBP mn in February 2020. The previous reading was 2,412 GBP mn.
When was this United Kingdom Trade Balance release published?
This release was published on Apr 9, 2020 at 07:00 Europe/London.
When is the next United Kingdom Trade Balance release?
The next United Kingdom Trade Balance release is scheduled for Nov 12, 2026.
What is the official source for United Kingdom Trade Balance?
ONS publishes the official Trade Balance series. FXMacroData stores every release with its announcement timestamp and serves it from the announcements endpoint for this series.
Raw announcement payload
Field names are preserved for traceability and downstream testing.
{
"announcement_datetime": 1586412000,
"announcement_id": "gbp_trade_balance_2020-02-29",
"announcement_source_url": "https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/timeseries/ikbj/mret/previous/v63",
"capture_time_basis": "backfill_fetch_completed",
"date": "2020-02-29",
"observed_at_ns": 1789468301474742900,
"previous_value": 2412.0,
"publication_time_precision": "minute",
"publication_time_status": "confirmed",
"revisions": [
{
"announcement_source_url": "https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/timeseries/ikbj/mret/previous/v63",
"capture_time_basis": "backfill_fetch_completed",
"epoch": 1586412000,
"is_first_release": false,
"observed_at_ns": 1789468301474742900,
"publication_time_precision": "minute",
"publication_time_status": "confirmed",
"val": -1353.0,
"vintage_status": "captured_snapshot"
}
],
"source_contract": {
"basis": "catalogue",
"frequency": "Monthly",
"source_series_id": "ONS:MRET:IKBJ",
"unit": "GBP mn"
},
"val": -1353.0,
"vintage_status": "captured_snapshot"
}