This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Ammar Asif
Why I Analyzed UK Laptop Trade
I run a laptop import business in India and recently began exploring the idea of expanding to the UK. Before making any strategic decisions, I wanted to understand the actual trade flow of laptops into and out of the UK.
I used official data from the UN Comtrade Database and built an interactive Power BI dashboard to analyze seven years of UK laptop import and export activity (2019–2025).
Explore the Dashboard
Here’s the interactive dashboard I built using Power BI:
View the Live Power BI Dashboard
Features include:
- Year, country, region, and trade flow filters
- KPIs showing total quantities and trade values
- Average unit price comparisons
- Import vs export trend charts
- Regional and partner country breakdowns
Key Insights
- The UK imports significantly more laptops than it exports.
- China is the dominant import partner by volume and value.
- UK laptop exports are relatively low, likely driven by re-exports or refurbished stock.
- Export unit prices tend to be higher, but quantities are much smaller.
- Seasonal spikes reflect broader tech consumption patterns.
Data Source and GitHub
- Source: UN Comtrade Database
- HS Code: 847130 (Portable laptops)
- Time Range: 2019–2025
- Frequency: Monthly
- Access the cleaned and raw datasets on GitHub: GitHub Repo with Dataset and Notes
Tools and Process
- Power BI for dashboard development
- Excel and Power Query for data cleaning and transformation
- GitHub for dataset storage and collaboration
Conclusion
Based on the data, the UK’s laptop trade is largely one-directional. The UK acts as a consumer hub, heavily reliant on imports, with limited outbound trade in laptops. This insight is particularly valuable for anyone interested in international tech supply chains, business expansion, or digital market trends.
If you’re interested in similar visualizations or exploring trade data for other products or markets, let me know. I plan to explore topics like electric vehicle adoption and consumer electronics trends in upcoming posts.
You can follow me for more interactive data projects at datatales.co.uk.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Ammar Asif