Total trade in goods and services between the United Kingdom and Samoa in the four quarters to the end of Q1 2022 was £39 million (approx. WST$114.8 million).

These statistics on trade and investment between the UK and Samoa was released on Tuesday 20 September 2022 by the UK Department for International Trade (DIT) as part of its Trade and Investment Factsheets. 

According to the DIT, the £39 million (in imports and exports) represented a decrease of 4.9 per cent or £2 million from the four quarters to the end of Q1 2021.

Out of the £39 million, total UK exports to Samoa amounted to less than £1 million in the four quarters to the end of Q1 2022 (representing a decrease of 100.0 per cent or £1 million compared to the four quarters to the end of Q1 2021).

Total UK imports from Samoa amounted to £39 million in the four quarters to the end of Q1 2022 (which also represented a decrease of 2.5 per cent or £1 million compared to the four quarters to the end of Q1 2021).

The DIT further added that Samoa was the United Kingdom's 169th largest trading partner in the four quarters to the end of Q1 2022 accounting for less than 0.1 per cent of total UK trade.

In 2020, the outward stock of foreign direct investment (FDI) from the UK in Samoa was less than £1 million and the inward stock of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the UK from Samoa was £67 million.

Of all UK imports from Samoa in the four quarters to the end of Q1 2022, £7 million (17.9 per cent) were goods and £32 million (82.1 per cent) were services. In the same period, UK imports of goods from Samoa increased by 600.0 per cent or £6 million compared to the four quarters to the end of Q1 2021 while UK imports of services from Samoa decreased by 17.9 per cent or £7 million compared to the four quarters to the end of Q1 2021.

"This means the UK reported a total trade deficit of £39 million with Samoa, compared to a trade deficit of £39 million in the four quarters to the end of Q1 2021," the DIT stated in its report.

Under the section "trade in goods by commodity", the DIT said the top 5 goods exported by the UK to Samoa in the four quarters to the end of Q1 2022 were:

- 87K - Scientific instruments (capital) (£50 thousand)

- 65 - Textile fabrics (£30 thousand) 

- 76K - Telecoms & sound equipment (capital) (£30 thousand)

- 84 - Clothing (£30 thousand)

- 88C - Photographic & optical goods & clocks (consumer) (£20 thousand)

And the top 5 goods that were imported into the UK from Samoa in the four quarters to the end of Q1 2022 were:

- 74K - General industrial machinery (capital) (£6.5 million)

- 82K - Furniture (capital) (£350 thousand) 

- 80K - Other miscellaneous manufactures (capital) (£350 thousand)

- 65 - Textile fabrics (£30 thousand)

- 792 - Aircraft (£30 thousand)

The DIT added that the latest data include trade between April 2021 and March 2022 and admitted that it has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated lockdown measures globally.