How to Use the UK ONS Trade — International Trade & Business Activity MCP in Claude

Q: What specific data types does this MCP Server touch regarding UK ONS Trade — International Trade & Business Activity?

This server touches several datasets, including the uk-business-by-enterprises-and-local-units dataset (IDBR), the raw trade goods data, and traffic camera activity metrics.

Access live UK trade metrics and business data directly in Claude Desktop.

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Connect UK ONS Trade — International Trade & Business Activity MCP to Claude Desktop

Create your Vinkius account to connect UK ONS Trade — International Trade & Business Activity to Claude Desktop and route execution through our secure gateway. The platform manages server hosting, runtime updates, and security layers. Configuration requires no manual server provisioning.

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Setup UK ONS Trade — International Trade & Business Activity with Claude Desktop

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Check Business Counts via MCP Server

Need to map out where economic activity is highest? The `get_business_counts` tool pulls UK business counts, broken down by industry and geography using the IDBR data. This lets you quickly assess how many local units are active in specific sectors. Whether you're working locally via your Desktop App or checking a remote URL in Claude Web, you get the raw numbers fast.

Analyze Goods Trade Flows

Understand what goods move across borders. Use `get_trade` to pull monthly UK trade data—imports and exports—for specific commodities and partner countries. It's non-seasonally adjusted, so you get the straight numbers in £ million. This is essential for any analysis tracking international economic shifts.

Gauge Local Activity with Traffic Data

Want an experimental view of local economic health? The `get_traffic_activity` tool pulls data from traffic cameras, giving you a real-time indicator of social change and activity levels. This dataset offers something different than traditional metrics. It helps gauge physical movement across the UK, complementing your formal business reports.

Setup guide

Set up UK ONS Trade — International Trade & Business Activity MCP in Claude Web or Desktop

1

Open Claude Settings

Go to claude.ai, click your profile icon, then navigate to Customize → Connectors.
2

Add Custom Connector

Click the "+" button and select Add custom connector. Paste your Vinkius endpoint URL: https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your token from cloud.vinkius.com. For OAuth-protected servers, expand Advanced settings to add credentials.
3

Start a conversation

Open a new chat. The UK ONS Trade — International Trade & Business Activity MCP tools are available immediately — no restart needed.

Endpoint URL

https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp

No configuration file needed — paste the URL directly in the Claude web interface.

Available on Free (1 connector), Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans.

Prerequisites

Claude Desktop installed (macOS or Windows)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open Claude Desktop Settings

Click the menu icon at the top-left corner, go to Settings → Developer → Edit Config. This opens claude_desktop_config.json in your default text editor.
2

Paste the UK ONS Trade — International Trade & Business Activity MCP configuration

Copy the JSON snippet on the right into the mcpServers object. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com.
3

Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen the application. Claude needs a full restart to load new MCPs — refreshing a conversation is not enough.
4

Verify the connection

Open a new conversation. Click the 🔌 icon at the bottom of the message input. You should see tools listed under uk-ons-trade-international-trade-business-activity-mcp.

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "uk-ons-trade-international-trade-business-activity-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Get your connection token →

Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by UK ONS. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.

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Common questions about UK ONS Trade — International Trade & Business Activity MCP in Claude Desktop

You call the tools directly in the chat input. For instance, you ask for trade balance by country, and your AI client runs `get_trade` to get the results instantly. You don't need to leave the browser or open a separate terminal.

Yes, you can run complex queries involving multiple tools like `get_business_counts` and `get_trade`. The client aggregates the data points for a cohesive report right inside the chat interface.

The server handles several types, including goods trade metrics, business counts from the IDBR, and experimental traffic camera activity indicators. You can choose which dataset to pull based on your research needs.

Absolutely. When running locally via the Desktop App, you're connected to the toolset using stdio transport. This makes it perfect for developers who need live API access without relying on a public internet URL.

This server touches several datasets, including the `uk-business-by-enterprises-and-local-units` dataset (IDBR), the raw trade goods data, and traffic camera activity metrics.

Use it with your favorite AI tools

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