UK Trade Data

The UK's current account deficit has long been an 'achilles heal' for the British Pound, and new data shows it has surged in size.

Although the UK saw a jump in exports to the EU in May and June a surge in imports meant the country saw its trade deficit expand the second quarter.

Exports to the EU appear to have recovered in March, easing fears of a sustained impact to trade with the continent brought on by the new post-Brexit trade relationship.

The UK Trade Balance for February read at -£16.44BN, a deficit far in excess of the -£10.40BN the market was looking for, and deeper than the -£12.59BN reported in January.

The first official data detailing the UK's trade performance since leaving the EU has been released, and understandably economists will give it more attention than has been the case in previous years.

German exports to the UK fell by 30% in January compared to a year ago owing to Brexit changes according to Destatis, the official German statistics authority.

The ONS will be reporting monthly GDP data today but we will also be watching releases of industrial and manufacturing production as well as latest trade statistics.

The UK trade in goods deficit widened further than was expected in October as imports continued to grow faster than exports, suggesting 'net trade' made little contribution to GDP at the beginning of the final quarter. 

The U.K.'s trade deficit in goods fell to -£9.73BN in September, a much stronger reading then the -£11.40BN forecast by markets.

The UK export sector boomed in July and during the recent quarter, according to Office for National Statistics data released Monday, helping to lift the economic growth rate to its highest level in more than a year but the jury is still deliberating on the question of how long this performance can go on for. 

The UK trade deficit widened during the second-quarter as exports from the UK fell while imports ticked higher, according to Office for National Statistics data released Friday, which then saw "net trade" weigh on the pace of quarterly GDP growth.

Data from the Office for National Statistics confirms the UK's penchant for importing more than it exports is as alive as ever.

The UK trade deficit narrowed to its lowest level for 6-months in February as imports fell by almost 5.0%.

Research shows corporates "are clearly looking to new international markets to trade with."

The Pound has a problem - it is not weak enough to balance the deficit that exists between the UK’s exports and imports.

The British Pound will be subject to the release of official trade and manufacturing data at 09:30 B.S.T.

The disappointment on today's data releases is a massive one; of the scope that tends to move currency markets.

Pound Sterling exchange rates are likely to be driven by data ahead of the weekend - here are the numbers to look for and the potential foreign exchange reactions.