UK Trade Data Fields: Statistics and Trader Lookup
Choose the right source for your UK trade question: aggregate goods statistics, trader lookup or commodity-code guidance.
TradeData editorial team · Published · Updated
At a glance
Use aggregate statistics for commodity and partner totals. Use trader lookup for registered business details within its stated coverage. Check commodity-code guidance for units. A trader listing is not a company-level transaction record.
Which UK trade-data fields answer your question?
For market totals, use HMRC's aggregate goods statistics. For registered business details, use its separate trader lookup. For finding a commodity code, GOV.UK points to the Trade Tariff tool (Source 4); check quantity units in HMRC's data guidance (Source 1). Do not attach an aggregate value or partner country to a named trader merely because the commodity code and month match. Sources 1–4 below.
Aggregate statistics: products, partners and measures
HMRC publishes Overseas Trade Statistics monthly and Regional Trade Statistics quarterly. Its data guidance lists values, weights and quantities at product and partner-country level. RTS uses the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC), with broader product groups than OTS. Check the series and classification level before comparing results. Source 1.
Use aggregate tables to study a market or commodity over time. They do not establish a named business's transaction value. Record the series, trade direction, period, commodity classification and unit with each result.
Trader lookup: business details and coverage limits
HMRC's trader lookup provides registered names and addresses and records of trading activity. Its coverage starts in 2016 for UK trade with non-EU countries, in 2022 for GB imports from the EU and in 2021 for GB exports to the EU. GB means England, Scotland and Wales, excluding Northern Ireland. Source 2.
The lookup does not provide transaction values or quantities, customers, VAT or EORI identifiers, or the specific countries goods moved to or from. Traders who have requested removal are excluded. The HMRC API documentation shows how to expand trader details, but this does not turn aggregate totals into company-level transactions or establish fields available in a commercial TradeData package. Sources 2 and 3.
Check units, revisions and source context
HMRC explains that net mass is generally measured in kilograms. Some commodity codes also use supplementary units, such as litres or square metres. Use the code-specific unit information linked from HMRC's data guidance before comparing quantities. Do not add quantities expressed in different units. Source 1.
HMRC states that published data can remain provisional for up to 18 months and that some detail is suppressed or aggregated. Keep the source, extraction date and revision context with your analysis. A missing field or withheld detail should not be treated as a zero value. Source 1.
UK trade data field FAQ
Can trader lookup show how much a company traded?
No. HMRC's trader lookup excludes transaction values and quantities. Use aggregate statistics for market totals, and do not assign those totals to a named business. Source 2.
Why do quantity fields vary by commodity?
Quantity columns can use different units. Check whether the measure is net mass or a supplementary unit, and use the unit specified for the commodity code. Source 1.
Is one monthly extract final?
Not necessarily. HMRC says published data can remain provisional for up to 18 months and may be revised. Record when you retrieved it. Source 1.
Discuss your UK data requirements
Describe the commodity, period, fields and intended use so the available scope can be checked. An enquiry does not confirm sample or product availability.
Discuss data requirementsOfficial sources
Original source check recorded on 25 August 2026; the following official pages were checked again on 25 September 2026. Source 1: HMRC, Get help with using our data — https://www.uktradeinfo.com/trade-data/help-with-using-our-data/ . Source 2: HMRC, Help with finding UK traders — https://www.uktradeinfo.com/find-uk-traders/how-to-use-our-tool-to-find-uk-traders/ . Source 3: HMRC, UK Trade Info API — https://www.uktradeinfo.com/api-documentation/ . Source 4: HMRC, Finding commodity codes for imports into or exports out of the UK — https://www.gov.uk/guidance/finding-commodity-codes-for-imports-or-exports .
- Get help with using our data
HM Revenue & Customs · Checked
- Help with finding UK traders
HM Revenue & Customs · Checked
- UK Trade Info API
HM Revenue & Customs · Checked
- Finding commodity codes for imports into or exports out of the UK
HM Revenue & Customs · Checked
Method
Match each research question to its official source surface. Read the named source's definitions, coverage dates and exclusions. Recommendations about comparing units and avoiding unsupported joins are analytical safeguards, not additional HMRC data fields.
Limitations
This guide explains documented official sources. It does not establish commercial dataset availability, completeness, source-use permission or tariff classification for a particular product. Trader lookup and aggregate statistics have different scopes.
AI assistance and editorial review
Prepared with AI assistance. Independent AI services reviewed the final text against the cited official sources for factual accuracy and language. No human review or official endorsement is claimed. AI review does not guarantee accuracy; please use the correction policy to report issues.
Independently reviewed using OpenAI Codex independent review and Google Gemini editorial review. These are AI reviews, not human signatures or official endorsement.
Official evidence checked by OpenAI Codex independent review. Additional editorial reviews may use supplied references rather than independently retrieve each source.
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