2026 UK Car Export Market Update: Trends, Prices and Demand

The UK continues to be one of the world's most active used-car export markets, with hundreds of thousands of right-hand drive vehicles leaving UK ports for overseas buyers each year. Despite ongoing cost-of-living pressures affecting domestic new car sales, the export market has remained resilient, driven by consistent demand from Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean for well-maintained, right-hand drive used vehicles.

One notable shift in 2026 is the growing share of exports going to Gulf states and North Africa, as buyers there increasingly favour UK-sourced stock over vehicles from other European markets due to documentation quality and vehicle condition. Meanwhile, established corridors to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Nigeria continue to account for a substantial proportion of total shipping volumes out of Southampton and Tilbury.

Used car prices in the UK have stabilised somewhat compared with the sharp increases seen in previous years, though supply of certain popular export models — particularly diesel SUVs and pickups like the Hilux and Navara — remains tighter than demand, keeping prices firm. A well-maintained 2018–2020 Toyota Hilux, for example, is currently trading in the region of £18,000–£24,000 depending on mileage and specification.

Shipping costs have also seen modest movement. RORO rates on major routes such as Southampton to Mombasa or Durban have held broadly steady, typically in the £900–£1,600 range depending on vehicle size, while container shipping costs for smaller consolidated loads to less frequently served destinations have edged upward slightly due to fuel surcharges and port handling fee increases.

One of the clearest trends this year is the growing volume of hybrid and, to a lesser extent, fully electric vehicles entering the export pipeline. As the UK's domestic fleet electrifies, more used hybrids like the Toyota Prius and RAV4 Hybrid are reaching export-eligible age and mileage, and demand is growing from markets keen to reduce fuel costs, including parts of East Africa and the Caribbean.

Fully electric vehicle exports remain a smaller but fast-growing segment, constrained mainly by charging infrastructure limitations in many destination countries and by higher shipping costs associated with battery-related safety declarations. We expect this segment to expand steadily over the next few years as global charging networks mature.

Exporters should be aware of a handful of regulatory developments shaping the market this year. Several African nations have tightened emissions-related import standards, with some markets now requiring Euro 4 compliance as a minimum for imported used vehicles, effectively excluding older diesel models from certain corridors.

On the UK side, DVLA processes for export notification and de-registration remain broadly unchanged, though processing times can vary seasonally. We recommend building in extra lead time for documentation during particularly busy shipping periods, typically the run-up to major holiday seasons when both DVLA processing and port capacity come under increased pressure.

Looking ahead, we expect continued strong demand for reliable, well-documented UK used vehicles, particularly SUVs, pickups and hybrid saloons. Shipping capacity on major RORO routes should remain adequate, though booking early for peak months is advisable given the popularity of routes to East and West Africa.

For buyers and exporters alike, the key takeaways from this update are to source vehicles with complete documentation, check destination-specific import rules before purchase, and factor realistic lead times into shipping plans given ongoing global logistics variability. Our team continues to monitor these trends closely and is happy to advise on the best strategy for your specific export plans.