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United Kingdom Trade Balance release

United Kingdom Trade Balance: -4,103 GBP mn (October 2024)

United Kingdom Trade Balance came in at -4,103 on Dec 13, 2024, compared with 2,176 previously. See the full release history, chart, Bank of England context, and API access for this series.

Released: · 2024-12-13 07:00 UTC

Actual
-4,103

October 2024

Previous
2,176
Forecast
--
Next release
Nov 12, 2026

Next United Kingdom Trade Balance release

Scheduled

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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 chart through 2024-10-31
GBP Trade Balance readings through 2024-10-31. Latest: -4,103.

United Kingdom Trade Balance release analysis

What the release showed

United Kingdom Trade Balance came in at -4,103 in the release of Dec 13, 2024, down 6,279 from 2,176.

How it compares

Across the 3 releases shown since September 2024, readings ranged from -4,614 to 2,176.

The series rose in 0 and fell in 2 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
Jan 16, 2025 November 2024 -4,614 -4,103 --
Dec 13, 2024 October 2024 -4,103 2,176 --
Nov 15, 2024 September 2024 2,176 1,986 --
FXMacroData API

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.
  • Consensus forecasts joined by announcement ID to measure the surprise.
  • Release calendar with confirmed times for upcoming announcements.
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API endpoint
GET https://api.fxmacrodata.com/v1/announcements/gbp/trade_balance
Python
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_2024-10-31. Forecasts for the same release: /v1/predictions/gbp/trade_balance.

Release data snapshot

Citation fields for this announcement.

Public release ID gbp_trade_balance_2024-12-13
API announcement ID gbp_trade_balance_2024-10-31
Release time
2024-12-13 07:00 UTC
Reference period date 2024-10-31
Actual value -4,103
Previous value 2,176
Forecast --
Surprise --

More United Kingdom Trade Balance releases

Move through adjacent announcement records for the same series.

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 -4,103 GBP mn in October 2024. The previous reading was 2,176 GBP mn.

When was this United Kingdom Trade Balance release published?

This release was published on Dec 13, 2024 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": 1734073200,
  "announcement_id": "gbp_trade_balance_2024-10-31",
  "announcement_source_url": "https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/timeseries/ikbj/mret/previous/v125",
  "capture_time_basis": "fetch_completed",
  "collected_at_iso": "2026-10-17T05:09:19.780104Z",
  "collected_at_ns": 1792213759780103684,
  "date": "2024-10-31",
  "observed_at_ns": 1792213759780103684,
  "previous_value": 2176.0,
  "publication_time_precision": "minute",
  "publication_time_status": "confirmed",
  "revisions": [
    {
      "announcement_source_url": "https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/timeseries/ikbj/mret/previous/v125",
      "capture_time_basis": "backfill_fetch_completed",
      "epoch": 1734073200,
      "is_first_release": false,
      "observed_at_ns": 1789468301474742900,
      "publication_time_precision": "minute",
      "publication_time_status": "confirmed",
      "val": -3149.0,
      "vintage_status": "captured_snapshot"
    },
    {
      "announcement_source_url": "https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/timeseries/ikbj/mret/previous/v125",
      "capture_time_basis": "fetch_completed",
      "epoch": 1734073200,
      "is_first_release": false,
      "observed_at_ns": 1792213759780103684,
      "publication_time_precision": "minute",
      "publication_time_status": "confirmed",
      "source_contract": {
        "basis": "catalogue",
        "frequency": "Monthly",
        "source_series_id": "ONS:MRET:IKBJ",
        "unit": "GBP mn"
      },
      "source_frequency": "Monthly",
      "source_identity_basis": "response_metadata",
      "source_series_id": "ONS:MRET:IKBJ",
      "val": -4103.0,
      "vintage_status": "captured_snapshot"
    }
  ],
  "source_contract": {
    "basis": "catalogue",
    "frequency": "Monthly",
    "source_series_id": "ONS:MRET:IKBJ",
    "unit": "GBP mn"
  },
  "source_frequency": "Monthly",
  "source_identity_basis": "response_metadata",
  "source_series_id": "ONS:MRET:IKBJ",
  "val": -4103.0,
  "vintage_status": "captured_snapshot"
}