Motor-vehicle parts trade spans a large international supply chain, from components shipped into assembly markets to parts exported for vehicle production and servicing. In the United Kingdom, exports of motor-vehicle parts and accessories reached £5,108 million in 2024, while imports reached £3,357 million. Globally, the United States was the largest 2022 importer in the supplied HS 8708 comparison, while Germany was the largest exporter.
Contents
- How to read these statistics
- UK exports over the long run
- UK imports over the long run
- Recent quarterly export movements
- Recent quarterly import movements
- Leading 2022 import markets
- Leading 2022 export markets
How to read these statistics
The UK figures come from Office for National Statistics time series for parts and accessories for motor vehicles. The export series is reported in nominal pounds million and is seasonally adjusted; the import series is reported in nominal pounds million and is not seasonally adjusted. The long-run values cover selected years from 1997 through 2024, while the quarterly observations extend from 2020 Q2 to 2026 Q2 for exports and to 2026 Q1 for imports in the supplied observations.
The global comparison uses UN Comtrade preview data for HS 8708, “parts and accessories of motor vehicles,” for calendar year 2022. Those values are current US dollars. The comparison is therefore not a like-for-like currency or classification match with the UK ONS series. It is useful for market scale, but should not be read as a conversion of the UK figures.
These classifications do not separately identify historic or classic vehicles, nor replacement parts specifically intended for them. The statistics consequently cover all motor-vehicle parts within the stated classifications, not only classic British cars or replacement-only trade. UN Comtrade preview data can include estimated quantities or weights; the values discussed here use reported primary trade value.
UK exports over the long run
UK exports of motor-vehicle parts and accessories were £4,705 million in 1997, rising to £5,274 million in 2000. The selected 2005 value was £4,712 million, followed by £3,645 million in 2009. These observations show a lower point in the supplied long-run series at 2009 than at either 1997 or 2000.
Exports were £4,526 million in 2014 and £5,408 million in 2016. The series then reached £6,281 million in 2018, the highest annual export value among the supplied observations. It fell to £4,591 million in 2020, before recording £4,881 million in 2022 and £5,108 million in 2024.
| Year | UK exports (£m) |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 4,705 |
| 2000 | 5,274 |
| 2005 | 4,712 |
| 2009 | 3,645 |
| 2014 | 4,526 |
| 2016 | 5,408 |
| 2018 | 6,281 |
| 2020 | 4,591 |
| 2022 | 4,881 |
| 2024 | 5,108 |
Source: ONS, CPA 08:WW exports, parts and accessories for motor vehicles. The annual observations are nominal values, so changes combine traded value movements with any price effects captured by the series.
The 2018 and 2020 observations provide a clear reference point for the later figures: the 2024 value remained below the 2018 peak but above the 2020 value. The supplied series does not provide enough detail to attribute those movements to individual vehicle programmes, destinations, product types, exchange rates, or prices.
UK imports over the long run
UK imports of motor-vehicle parts and accessories were £956 million in 1997 and £1,383 million in 2000. The value was £1,459 million in 2005 and £1,492 million in 2009. In the next selected years, imports rose to £2,886 million in 2014 and £3,486 million in 2016.
Imports reached £3,697 million in 2018, then stood at £2,576 million in 2020. The later values were £3,151 million in 2022 and £3,357 million in 2024. Across the listed years, the 2018 figure was the highest supplied annual import value, while 1997 was the lowest.
| Year | UK imports (£m) |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 956 |
| 2000 | 1,383 |
| 2005 | 1,459 |
| 2009 | 1,492 |
| 2014 | 2,886 |
| 2016 | 3,486 |
| 2018 | 3,697 |
| 2020 | 2,576 |
| 2022 | 3,151 |
| 2024 | 3,357 |
Source: ONS, CPA 08:RW imports, parts and accessories for motor vehicles. The import series is nominal pounds million and not seasonally adjusted.
The long-run import observations show a larger difference between the earliest and latest listed years than the export observations do, but this article does not calculate an unsupported growth rate. The data also do not identify whether imported parts were destined for new vehicle assembly, repair, restoration, aftermarket distribution, or another use. For classic-car readers, that limitation matters: the broad category is a trade proxy, not a measure of the classic replacement-parts market.
Recent quarterly export movements
The quarterly export observations begin with £760 million in 2020 Q2 and £1,229 million in 2020 Q3. Later supplied points were £1,088 million in 2021 Q4, £1,306 million in 2022 Q3, and £1,319 million in 2023 Q2.
Exports were £1,366 million in 2024 Q1 and £1,206 million in 2024 Q4. The supplied 2025 Q2 value was £1,159 million. The two latest export observations were £1,048 million in 2026 Q1 and £1,052 million in 2026 Q2.
| Quarter | UK exports (£m) |
|---|---|
| 2020 Q2 | 760 |
| 2020 Q3 | 1,229 |
| 2021 Q4 | 1,088 |
| 2022 Q3 | 1,306 |
| 2023 Q2 | 1,319 |
| 2024 Q1 | 1,366 |
| 2024 Q4 | 1,206 |
| 2025 Q2 | 1,159 |
| 2026 Q1 | 1,048 |
| 2026 Q2 | 1,052 |
Source: ONS export time series. These are selected quarterly observations rather than a complete quarter-by-quarter table. The export series is seasonally adjusted, which helps interpretation of quarterly movements, but the supplied values alone do not explain why any particular quarter was higher or lower.
The figures place the 2024 Q1 observation at £1,366 million, the highest listed quarterly export value in this set. The 2026 Q1 and Q2 values were close to each other at £1,048 million and £1,052 million. Because the data points are selective, they should not be treated as a continuous trend line or as a forecast.
Recent quarterly import movements
UK imports were £432 million in 2020 Q2 and £538 million in 2020 Q3. The supplied later observations were £700 million in 2021 Q4, £756 million in 2022 Q3, and £859 million in 2023 Q2. Imports then reached £828 million in 2024 Q1 and £866 million in 2024 Q4.
The value was £792 million in 2025 Q2, £790 million in 2025 Q4, and £891 million in 2026 Q1. The £891 million observation is the highest listed quarterly import value in the supplied set, while £432 million in 2020 Q2 is the lowest.
| Quarter | UK imports (£m) |
|---|---|
| 2020 Q2 | 432 |
| 2020 Q3 | 538 |
| 2021 Q4 | 700 |
| 2022 Q3 | 756 |
| 2023 Q2 | 859 |
| 2024 Q1 | 828 |
| 2024 Q4 | 866 |
| 2025 Q2 | 792 |
| 2025 Q4 | 790 |
| 2026 Q1 | 891 |
Source: ONS import time series. This series is not seasonally adjusted. As a result, comparisons between individual quarters can reflect seasonal patterns as well as changes in trade activity.
The quarterly import observations show a higher 2026 Q1 value than the selected 2024 and 2025 points. They do not establish what happened in the intervening quarters, and they do not identify the countries supplying the parts. For sourcing or market-entry decisions, country-level and product-level customs data would be needed in addition to this broad series.
Leading 2022 import markets
UN Comtrade’s 2022 HS 8708 comparison places the United States first among the listed import markets, with $86.226 billion of motor-vehicle parts and accessories imports. Germany followed at $40.672 billion, Mexico at $29.526 billion, and China at $25.239 billion. Canada recorded $16.959 billion and Spain $16.073 billion.
The United Kingdom imported $11.303 billion in this HS 8708 comparison. Italy recorded $9.276 billion, Japan $7.559 billion, and the Netherlands $6.580 billion. South Korea, also included in the supplied comparison, recorded $4.974 billion.
| Rank in supplied list | Import market | 2022 imports (US$bn) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 86.226 |
| 2 | Germany | 40.672 |
| 3 | Mexico | 29.526 |
| 4 | China | 25.239 |
| 5 | Canada | 16.959 |
| 6 | Spain | 16.073 |
| 7 | United Kingdom | 11.303 |
| 8 | Italy | 9.276 |
| 9 | Japan | 7.559 |
| 10 | Netherlands | 6.580 |
| 11 | South Korea | 4.974 |
Source: UN Comtrade API preview, 2022 HS 8708 imports. Values are current US dollars and cover the HS 8708 classification, not a classic-car-only segment.
Leading 2022 export markets
Germany was the largest listed exporter in 2022, with $62.072 billion of HS 8708 motor-vehicle parts and accessories exports. China exported $49.733 billion, the United States $40.735 billion, and Mexico $37.977 billion. Japan recorded $28.885 billion and South Korea $19.922 billion.
Italy’s 2022 exports were $14.807 billion, followed by Canada at $12.719 billion and Spain at $10.185 billion. The United Kingdom exported $5.053 billion, while the Netherlands exported $4.320 billion.
| Rank in supplied list | Export market | 2022 exports (US$bn) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 62.072 |
| 2 | China | 49.733 |
| 3 | United States | 40.735 |
| 4 | Mexico | 37.977 |
| 5 | Japan | 28.885 |
| 6 | South Korea | 19.922 |
| 7 | Italy | 14.807 |
| 8 | Canada | 12.719 |
| 9 | Spain | 10.185 |
| 10 | United Kingdom | 5.053 |
| 11 | Netherlands | 4.320 |
Source: UN Comtrade API preview, 2022 HS 8708 exports. These are reported 2022 trade values in current US dollars. They describe the full covered motor-vehicle-parts category, with no separate measure for classic, historic, or replacement-only parts.
The global figures provide context for the UK’s position in the supplied 2022 comparison, but they should be kept separate from the ONS annual and quarterly series. The ONS observations use pounds million and different statistical series, while the UN Comtrade observations use current US dollars and HS 8708. Together, they show the scale and timing of broad motor-vehicle-parts trade without claiming to measure the specialist classic British car parts market.