The UK total trade deficit (goods and services) narrowed £0.7 billion to £6.9 billion in the three months to March 2018, due mainly to falling goods imports from non-EU countries.

The trade in goods deficit narrowed £1.5 billion with non-EU countries and widened £0.4 billion with the EU in the three months to March 2018.

The narrowing goods deficit with non-EU countries was due mainly to falls in imports of machinery and transport equipment (mainly ships and aircraft), and miscellaneous manufactures (mainly clothing and works of art) of £1.3 billion and £0.5 billion respectively in the three months to March 2018.