UK fashion exports to US rise

​​Britain’s exports to the US are on the way up and fashion is among the categories that are proving popular, new figures have shown.

Total UK exports to America amounted to £168.3 billion in the four quarters to the end of 2022, an increase of 19% year on year, or £26.9 billion at current prices. That was much more than the amount of goods and services Britons bought from the US, which was £110.8 billion.

In fact, the US was the UK’s largest single trading partner in those four quarters, accounting for 16.3% of total UK trade.

Delivery specialist ParcelHero has analysed the official figures and its own data and found that while heavy machinery (including nuclear boilers), vehicles, pharmaceuticals, optical & medical equipment and electronics top the charts of UK exports to the US, Britain’s smaller manufacturers and exporters are enjoying a sales boom.

And the hottest-selling products in their case include fashion.

The company’s Head of Consumer Research David Jinks said: “Whether it’s down to the Coronation effect, or just the low price of UK products following the slump of the pound against the dollar, it looks like US buyers have fallen in love again with British-made goods. Looking at ParcelHero’s own figures for last month, women’s clothing was the largest category, with UK sellers enjoying considerable US sales. That makes sense as British fashion and clothing exports to the USA were worth around $338m last year.”