New Government Data on Preference Utilisation Now Available!

The government has released new data providing insights into the utilisation of trade preferences by businesses, aiming to support economic decision-making.

The data, published by the relevant trade and commerce authorities, offers detailed statistics on how businesses are leveraging preferential trade agreements to access international markets. This information will assist policymakers, trade analysts, and businesses in assessing the effectiveness of current trade agreements and identifying areas for improvement.

Trade preferences allow exporters and importers to benefit from reduced tariffs or duty-free access to certain markets, strengthening their competitive position globally. The newly available data highlights trends in preference utilisation across different countries.

UK imports by preference

Table 1: Preference utilisation of top 5 non-EU partners

Rank	Non-EU Partners	Total imports (£ million)	Preference eligible imports (£ million)	Preference use imports (£ million)	PUR
1	Turkey	12,826	9,570	8,813	92.10%
2	Switzerland	11,511	4,648	2,626	56.50%
3	Japan	10,623	3,692	2,355	63.80%
4	Vietnam	7,337	3,452	1,549	44.90%
5	South Korea	6,893	3,279	2,940	89.70%

UK exports by preference

Table 3: Preference utilisation of UK’s top 5 non-EU partners

Rank	Non-EU Partners	Total imports (£ million)	Preference eligible imports (£ million)	Preference use imports (£ million)	PUR
1	South Korea	4,672	3,196	2,041	63.90%
2	Turkey	4,406	2,793	2,486	89.00%
3	Switzerland and Liechtenstein	6,671	2,290	853	37.30%
4	Canada	5,237	1,003	754	75.20%
5	Japan	5,429	770	482	62.60%

Businesses can access the data through the government’s official trade portal (please click HERE).

Contact your local certification team – international@chamberelancs.co.uk for further guidance and support on claiming preference.

For more news, click here.

Share News