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Greek exports to the United Kingdom rose sharply in the first eight months of 2026, led by Greek yogurt, which recorded a 67.1% increase and became the country’s top export product to the British market.

The figures, published by the UK’s tax and customs authority (HMRC), show that total Greek goods exports to the United Kingdom reached £1.32 billion between January and August, up 29% from £1.02 billion during the same period in 2025.

The data are included in the latest Economic and Business Developments Bulletin issued by the Economic and Commercial Affairs Office of the Greek Embassy in London. Figures from Greece’s Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) also point to strong growth in bilateral trade and an expanding trade surplus for Greece.

Greek yogurt tops export rankings

Greek yogurt recorded the largest increase among Greece’s leading export products to the United Kingdom, rising 67.1% to take the top position.

Iron and steel tubes with circular cross-sections ranked second, with exports valued at £107.94 million, an increase of 7,804.1%. They were followed by processed petroleum oils, worth £94.61 million, up 268.1%, and insulated wire, coaxial cables and other insulated electric conductors, which reached £91.88 million, an increase of 45.8%.

Medicines in measured doses or retail packaging ranked fifth, with exports of £82.89 million, although their value fell 15.6%. Greek cheeses came sixth, generating £77.43 million, up 16.7%.

The remaining products in the top 10 were copper tubes, worth £61.07 million; aluminum plates, sheets and strips, at £44.13 million; meters for measuring gas, liquids and electricity, at £39.44 million; and vegetables prepared in vinegar or acetic acid, at £33.16 million.

The figures highlight the strong position of Greek dairy products in the British market, while also showing significant growth in several industrial and energy-related export categories.

Greek trade surplus with UK widens

According to HMRC, total Greek goods exports to the United Kingdom reached £1.32 billion in January-August 2026, compared with £1.02 billion in the same period a year earlier.

British exports to Greece increased by just 1.1%, reaching £650.94 million, up from £644.12 million in the first eight months of 2025.

As a result, the total value of bilateral trade rose 18.2% to £1.97 billion. Greece’s trade surplus with the United Kingdom expanded by 76.9% to £665.12 million, compared with £376.03 million a year earlier.

The Greek Embassy’s Economic and Commercial Affairs Office also found that Greece recorded the largest percentage increase in the value of UK imports among European Union member states during the period, at 29.41%. Ireland followed with growth of 23.44%.

The increase moved Greece from 48th to 44th place among the United Kingdom’s supplier countries.

Overall, the value of British imports from EU countries rose 6.7%. However, the EU’s share of total UK imports declined to 43.36%, from 46.45% in the corresponding period of 2025. Imports from countries outside the bloc increased by 20.89%, bringing their share to 56.64%.

ELSTAT data confirm strong export growth

Separate figures from ELSTAT, processed by the Greek Embassy’s Economic and Commercial Affairs Office in London, also show a substantial increase in Greek exports to the United Kingdom.

According to the provisional data, Greek exports reached €1.686 billion in the first eight months of 2026, up 30.1% from €1.296 billion during the same period in 2025.

Greek imports from the United Kingdom also increased, rising 17.7% to €673.93 million, compared with €572.75 million a year earlier.

The bilateral trade balance recorded a surplus of approximately €1.01 billion in Greece’s favor, an increase of 39.9% from €723.19 million in the first eight months of 2025.

Total bilateral trade reached €2.359 billion, up 26.3% from €1.869 billion in the corresponding period a year earlier.

The HMRC and ELSTAT figures use different currencies and reporting data, but both indicate that Greek exports to the United Kingdom grew substantially faster than imports during the first eight months of 2026.