EU–United Kingdom › Optical, medical & precision instruments
EU–United Kingdom trade in optical, medical & precision instruments
In May 2026, the EU exported €1.1B of optical, medical & precision instruments to the United Kingdom and imported €452M — a €603M surplus in this category.
The EU's optical, medical & precision instruments surplus with the United Kingdom has widened by about 10% over the past year, from €550M to €603M.
The United Kingdom supplied about 6% of the EU's extra-EU imports of optical, medical & precision instruments in May 2026.
Updated monthly · latest data May 2026
— EU exports— EU imports76 months · latest 2026-05
EU exports
€1.1B
EU imports
€452M
Balance
€603M
Top sub-categories traded with United Kingdom
EU exports →
- 9018Instruments and appliances used in medical, surgical, dental or veterinary sciences, incl. scintigraphic apparatus, other electro-medical apparatus and sight-testing instruments, n.e.s.€305M
- 9021Orthopaedic appliances, incl. crutches, surgical belts and trusses; splints and other fracture appliances; artificial parts of the body; hearing aids and other appliances which are worn or carried, or implanted in the body, to compensate for a defect or disability€210M
- 9031Measuring or checking instruments, appliances and machines not elsewhere specified in chapter 90; profile projectors€87M
- 9027Instruments and apparatus for physical or chemical analysis, e.g. polarimeters, refractometers, spectrometers, gas or smoke analysis apparatus; instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking viscosity, porosity, expansion, surface tension or the like; instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking quantities of heat, sound or light, incl. exposure meters; microtomes€81M
- 9032Regulating or controlling instruments and apparatus (excl. taps, cocks and valves of heading 8481)€40M
← EU imports
- 9018Instruments and appliances used in medical, surgical, dental or veterinary sciences, incl. scintigraphic apparatus, other electro-medical apparatus and sight-testing instruments, n.e.s.€81M
- 9027Instruments and apparatus for physical or chemical analysis, e.g. polarimeters, refractometers, spectrometers, gas or smoke analysis apparatus; instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking viscosity, porosity, expansion, surface tension or the like; instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking quantities of heat, sound or light, incl. exposure meters; microtomes€43M
- 9021Orthopaedic appliances, incl. crutches, surgical belts and trusses; splints and other fracture appliances; artificial parts of the body; hearing aids and other appliances which are worn or carried, or implanted in the body, to compensate for a defect or disability€43M
- 9031Measuring or checking instruments, appliances and machines not elsewhere specified in chapter 90; profile projectors€42M
- 9032Regulating or controlling instruments and apparatus (excl. taps, cocks and valves of heading 8481)€32M
Monthly figures
| Month | EU exports | EU imports | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | €1.1B | €452M | €603M |
| April 2026 | €1.1B | €467M | €636M |
| March 2026 | €1.5B | €515M | €981M |
| February 2026 | €1.1B | €464M | €625M |
| January 2026 | €1.1B | €426M | €658M |
| December 2025 | €1.2B | €444M | €780M |
| November 2025 | €1.1B | €487M | €604M |
| October 2025 | €1.2B | €529M | €628M |
| September 2025 | €1.1B | €588M | €528M |
| August 2025 | €894M | €444M | €450M |
| July 2025 | €1.1B | €548M | €572M |
| June 2025 | €1.1B | €531M | €556M |
| May 2025 | €1.1B | €509M | €550M |
| April 2025 | €1.0B | €505M | €534M |
| March 2025 | €1.3B | €546M | €714M |
| February 2025 | €1.1B | €509M | €569M |
| January 2025 | €1.1B | €497M | €620M |
| December 2024 | €948M | €517M | €431M |
| November 2024 | €1.1B | €560M | €529M |
| October 2024 | €1.1B | €561M | €555M |
| September 2024 | €1.0B | €586M | €416M |
| August 2024 | €1.0B | €498M | €528M |
| July 2024 | €1.1B | €533M | €579M |
| June 2024 | €1.0B | €530M | €486M |
EU exports, imports and balance by month — extra-EU, EU27 reporter, latest 24 months.
Related trade lanes
EU–China · Optical, medical & precision instruments →EU–United States · Optical, medical & precision instruments →EU–Japan · Optical, medical & precision instruments →EU–India · Optical, medical & precision instruments →EU–United Kingdom · all goods →EU–United Kingdom · Machinery & mechanical appliances →
Source: Eurostat — Comext DS-059341 · EU27 reporter · extra-EU trade · value in EUR. Figures are indicative and may be revised; verify against Eurostat before relying on them.