Release: International Trade in Services - 2010, 2010

Key points

• UK exports of services continued to increase from £84,120 million in 2009 to a new high of £89,523 million in 2010, an increase of 6 per cent.

• UK imports of services marginally increased from £41,560 million in 2009 to £42,074 million in 2010.

• The UK balance attributed to trade in services increased from a surplus of £42,561 million in 2009 to a surplus of £47,449 million in 2010, an increase of 11 per cent.

• In 2010, UK exports remain dominated by professional, scientific and technical services, accounting for 31 per cent of the total. 

• In 2010, there was an increase in UK exports in information and communication services (up 9 per cent) along with wholesale and retail services (up 26 per cent).

• Despite overall imports into the UK in 2010 remaining relatively constant, there was a 14 per cent increase of services within the information and communication activities industry sector. This industry sector rose to joint first position for UK imports in 2010, together with the professional, scientific and technical activities industry sector.

• In 2010, UK exports of film services continued to outweigh UK imports.  UK film exports increased to £2,106 million in 2010 compared with £1,476 million in 2009, a rise of 43 per cent.

• UK film exports to Europe increased from £695 million in 2009 to £1,224 million in 2010.  Europe became the primary destination for UK exports of film services in 2010, compared with the Americas in 2009.