Scotland’s International Goods Trade: Quarter 3 2022

This report contains trade in goods data from the latest release of HMRC's Regional Trade Statistics (RTS).


Compared to the first nine months of 2019, the value of Scotland’s goods exports to non-EU countries decreased by 16.9% (down £2.2 billion) to £10.7 billion in the first nine months of 2022. UK goods exports to non-EU countries increased by 1.8% over this period and Scotland experienced the largest decrease of all the UK regions.

When oil and gas are excluded, there was actually an increase of 14.1% (up £1.3 billion) in goods exports to non-EU countries during this period, which was the highest increase of all UK regions excluding exports of oil and gas.

Table 5. The value of goods exports to non-EU countries by region for the first nine months (Q1+Q2+Q3) of 2019-2022

Region

2019

2020

2021

2022

2019 v 2022 change (%)

2020 v 2022 change (%)

2021 v 2022 change (%)

Scotland

12.9

9.4

9.1

10.7

-16.9

13.5

18.4

Scotland (exc. Oil & Gas)

9.1

8.2

8.3

10.4

14.1

26.4

25.5

England

92.1

77.6

84.7

97.3

5.7

25.4

14.9

Wales

5.3

4.2

4.3

6.5

22.8

55.1

49.8

Northern Ireland

2.8

2.2

2.1

2.3

-15.9

7.7

11.4

United Kingdom

127.3

107.2

114.5

129.6

1.8

20.9

13.1

United Kingdom (exc. Oil & Gas)

119.5

103.8

109.3

122.7

2.6

18.1

12.2

Source: HMRC RTS, 2022 Q3

Figure 7. When oil and gas are excluded, the change in the value of Scotland’s non-EU goods exports compared more favourably with other regions of the UK
Percentage change in goods exports to non-EU countries by UK region and UK overall, Q1 + Q2 + Q3 2022 compared with Q1 + Q2 + Q3 2019

Bar chart showing goods exports to non-EU countries from each UK region, Wales had the highest positive percentage change (22%) and Scotland the largest negative change (16.9%)

Source: HMRC RTS, Q3 2022

Figure 8. The value of Scotland’s goods exports to non-EU countries in Q3 2022 remains lower than the value in Q3 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and EU exit
Value of Scotland’s goods exports to non-EU countries (quarterly), Q1 2019 to Q3 2022

Time series showing Scotland's goods exports to non-EU countries with and without oil and gas. In Q3 2022 the value is at £4.1 billion, and £4.0 billion excluding oil and gas

Source: HMRC RTS, Q3 2022

The decrease in value of Scotland’s exports to non-EU destinations in the first nine months of 2022 compared to the equivalent period in 2019, was primarily driven by a 91.8% decrease in the value of Scotland’s exports of oil (down £3.5 billion), the majority of this drop came from exports of oil to China (down £3.1 billion, 99.3%).

Despite being the second largest export to non-EU countries, the value of power generating machinery exports decreased by £152 million (down 9.4%) in the first nine months of 2022 compared to the first nine months of 2019. On the otherhand, over this period there was strong growth in the value of exports of beverages (up £644 million, 28.5%), non-ferrous metals (up £348 million, 110.0%), and chemical materials (up £142 million, 53.9%) to non-EU destinations.

In the first nine months of 2022, beverages were Scotland’s top exported commodity to non-EU destinations, valuing £2.9 billion. Beverages accounted for more than a quarter (27%) of Scotland’s total goods exports to non-EU countries. Power generating machinery was the second largest goods export, accounting for 14% of Scotland’s total goods exports to non-EU countries. 

Figure 9. Scotland’s goods exports to non-EU countries were dominated by exports of beverages, which accounted for over a quarter of Scotland’s total goods exports to non-EU countries
Scotland's top ten exported products to non-EU countries, Q1 + Q2 + Q3  2022

Bar chart showing Scotland’s goods exports to non-EU countries were dominated by exports of beverages (27% of total) and power generating machinery (14% of total)

Source: HMRC RTS, Q3 2022

Table 6. The value of Scotland’s top ten exported goods to non-EU countries in the first nine months (Q1 + Q2 + Q3) of 2019 – 2022

Product

2019

2020

2021

2022

2019 v 2022 change (%)

2020 v 2022 change (%)

2021 v 2022 change (%)

Beverages

2,262

1,676

2,013

2,906

28.5

73.4

44.3

Power generating machinery

1,625

1,311

1,017

1,473

-9.4

12.3

44.8

General industrial machinery

641

601

682

728

13.5

21.1

6.7

Non-ferrous metals

316

490

520

664

110.0

35.5

27.6

Professional & scientific instruments

429

391

422

481

12.1

23.2

14.1

Chemical materials & products

263

252

459

405

53.9

60.5

-11.9

Medicinal & pharmaceutical products

301

229

250

363

20.7

58.6

45.6

Electrical machinery & appliances

320

262

269

320

0.0

22.0

18.9

Oil

3,765

1,200

752

310

-91.8

-74.1

-58.7

Other transport equipment

355

871

234

306

-13.7

-64.8

30.7

Source: HMRC RTS, Q3 2022

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