British exporters pivoted away from America over the last 12 months, instead focusing on European and Asian markets, Manchester Airports Group’s (MAG) UK Trade Barometer has found.
The shift away from the US was most starkly seen among manufacturers as they targeted new territories to mitigate the impact tariffs imposed by President Trump. Order books increasingly featured China, Japan, Australia and several EU nations over the course of the year – a trend that looks set to continue in 2026.
Britain’s status as a services superpower shone through as finance firms recorded their strongest quarter yet in Q4, and, unaffected by White House tariffs, the United States remained a top market.
Britain’s strength in supplying construction services was another key trend. The sector consistently recorded the highest percentage of firms reporting export uplifts during 2025, while sales to Japan surged during the year.
Another consistent theme was the gulf between London and the regions when it came to export performance. That presents an opportunity for Ministers as they look to jump-start productivity through the delivery of the Government’s industrial strategy, according to the UK’s largest airports group, MAG.
The UK trade barometer surveys 2,000 businesses across the country every quarter. It is representative of industrial sectors and UK regions. Run in partnership with YouGov, it asks firms about their global trading habits in the past quarter and their expectations for the quarter ahead.
The Barometer is delivered by MAG – which owns and operates Manchester, East Midlands and London Stansted – alongside the Growing Together Alliance of business groups.
MAG CEO Ken O’Toole said:
“As an island trading nation, we know how important our export performance is to the overall economic health of the UK. “This full-year data shows the direct impact global events can have on businesses’ order books – but it also shows that British exporters are skilled at diversifying and pivoting to new markets – harnessing the resilience and innovation of our globally trading firms will be important if we want to kick-start growth.
“While some economic indicators point to a potential upturn in growth during the course of 2026, the fact fewer than one in three exporters expect to increase sales in the first part of this year paints a slightly different picture.
“As Government looks to deliver its Industrial Strategy, there is a clear opportunity to be grasped: by growing the number of firms that trade globally, we can boost productivity and living standards in regional growth corridors across the UK, from the Northern Growth Corridor to the Ox-Cam Arc. It is vital Government works with business to understand the steps it could take to help more firms trade internationally, including encouraging investment in the infrastructure that unlocks international connectivity.”
Henri Murison, chair of the Growing Together Alliance, said:
“Over the course of 2025 we’ve seen a clear recalibration in UK trade patterns. While America remains a vital market, particularly for manufacturers, exporters have increasingly diversified as conditions have shifted. This reflects geopolitical realities, but also the adaptability and resilience of UK firms.
“The pivot to markets like Asia and Europe is notable – and if the Prime Minister can negotiate it then further reduced trade barriers with the latter it would make trade with countries in the European Union easier without allowing accusations of Brexit betrayal that a full-blown customs union could lead to.”
“The continued strength of London is welcome, and the priority should now be ensuring that export-led growth is not confined there but supports further increasing productivity across all regions.”
