Import/export HS code 20: Prepared or preserved plant-based foods
Includes vegetables, fruits, nuts, and other edible plant parts that are prepared or preserved in various ways, such as by vinegar or acetic acid
Why this is important if you are looking for potential customers in the UK:
- It helps you understand the market size for your product in the UK.
- It provides you with a list of potential leads who have bought similar products.
* UK only, last 24 months analysed
Imports by country
What this shows: Import market volume by exporter country into the UK.
Top 5 values
| Country | £ |
|---|---|
| Belgium | 1,988,433,898 |
| Netherlands | 1,781,852,487 |
| Italy | 1,050,050,771 |
| Spain | 689,083,660 |
| France | 454,374,025 |
Countries rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Countries are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month volume, right side by second 12-month volume, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Country | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 1,025,663,350 | 962,770,548 | -62,892,802 |
| Netherlands | 960,271,012 | 821,581,475 | -138,689,537 |
| Italy | 544,546,457 | 505,504,314 | -39,042,143 |
| Spain | 352,305,687 | 336,777,973 | -15,527,714 |
| France | 241,062,676 | 213,311,349 | -27,751,327 |
| Ireland | 177,189,804 | 169,391,381 | -7,798,423 |
| Germany | 139,922,134 | 152,028,774 | +12,106,640 |
| Greece | 124,574,127 | 118,170,316 | -6,403,811 |
| Turkey | 124,392,992 | 116,356,968 | -8,036,024 |
| Poland | 101,537,047 | 113,941,498 | +12,404,451 |
Imports by country of origin
What this shows: Import volume by production origin country. Differences from exporter-country data can indicate re-export routes.
Top 5 values
| Origin | £ |
|---|---|
| Belgium | 1,576,956,511 |
| Italy | 1,246,111,540 |
| Netherlands | 1,080,893,427 |
| Spain | 751,913,172 |
| Brazil | 576,713,743 |
Country of origin rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Origin countries are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month import value, right side by second 12-month import value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Origin | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 825,159,829 | 751,796,682 | -73,363,147 |
| Italy | 642,414,265 | 603,697,275 | -38,716,990 |
| Netherlands | 593,935,015 | 486,958,412 | -106,976,603 |
| Spain | 376,795,334 | 375,117,838 | -1,677,496 |
| Brazil | 302,463,569 | 274,250,174 | -28,213,395 |
| France | 172,273,371 | 158,843,140 | -13,430,231 |
| Poland | 163,645,019 | 167,434,078 | +3,789,059 |
| Germany | 154,666,897 | 156,215,609 | +1,548,712 |
| Greece | 139,249,296 | 133,811,847 | -5,437,449 |
| Turkey | 137,105,318 | 127,712,610 | -9,392,708 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Outer London - West and North West | 325 |
| Inner London - West | 255 |
| Inner London - East | 241 |
| Outer London - East and North East | 230 |
| Greater Manchester | 140 |
UK regions rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: UK regions are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month importer count, right side by second 12-month importer count, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| UK region | First 12m | Second 12m | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outer London - West and North West | 258 | 267 | +9 |
| Inner London - West | 212 | 196 | -16 |
| Inner London - East | 187 | 194 | +7 |
| Outer London - East and North East | 184 | 174 | -10 |
| Greater Manchester | 110 | 110 | +0 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 117 | 111 | -6 |
| West Midlands | 84 | 88 | +4 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 93 | 91 | -2 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 87 | 81 | -6 |
| Outer London - South | 74 | 65 | -9 |
Import volume by transport
What this shows: Import value by transport mode used to bring goods into the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 4,240,621,444 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 4,037,173,570 |
| Other | 322,762,348 |
| Road transport | 19,819,493 |
| Air transport | 17,874,672 |
Transport rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Transport modes are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month import value, right side by second 12-month import value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Transport | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 2,158,135,678 | 2,082,485,766 | -75,649,912 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 2,155,307,676 | 1,881,865,894 | -273,441,782 |
| Other | 167,297,970 | 155,464,378 | -11,833,592 |
| Road transport | 8,396,881 | 11,422,612 | +3,025,731 |
| Air transport | 9,485,078 | 8,389,594 | -1,095,484 |
| Rail transport | 3,299,286 | 110,687 | -3,188,599 |
| Own propulsion (e.g. imported vehicle driven across land boundary) | 0 | 994 | +994 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover | 1,270,021,723 |
| London | 1,167,871,602 |
| Felixstowe | 1,109,385,368 |
| London Gateway Port | 965,732,902 |
| Eurotunnel | 831,893,588 |
Port rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Ports are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month import value, right side by second 12-month import value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Port | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | 649,047,602 | 620,974,121 | -28,073,481 |
| London | 598,623,269 | 569,248,333 | -29,374,936 |
| Felixstowe | 575,476,413 | 533,908,955 | -41,567,458 |
| London Gateway Port | 542,096,587 | 423,636,315 | -118,460,272 |
| Eurotunnel | 431,805,094 | 400,088,494 | -31,716,600 |
| Immingham Docks | 293,016,029 | 285,416,850 | -7,599,179 |
| Liverpool Docks | 189,813,393 | 172,595,868 | -17,217,525 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 154,856,012 | 182,020,107 | +27,164,095 |
| 000 | 167,200,233 | 152,065,940 | -15,134,293 |
| Killingholme | 157,853,650 | 130,725,580 | -27,128,070 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 1485 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 616 |
| Manufacture of food products | 445 |
| Food and beverage service activities | 372 |
| Office administrative, office support and other business support activities | 120 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 933 |
| 2025-11 | 1087 |
| 2025-10 | 1081 |
| 2025-09 | 1051 |
| 2025-08 | 1008 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| R.H.AMAR & CO LIMITED | 120 |
| IVORY & LEDOUX LIMITED | 120 |
| NATCO FOODS LIMITED | 120 |
| WANIS LIMITED | 120 |
| W.WING YIP PLC | 120 |
| BAKKAVOR FOODS LIMITED | 120 |
| MARTIN MATHEW & CO. LIMITED | 120 |
| VIBRANT BRANDS LIMITED | 120 |
| TOP-OP (FOODS) LIMITED | 120 |
| HOO HING HOLDINGS LIMITED | 120 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 1088 |
| 0-1m | 934 |
| 54m+ | 381 |
| 15m-54m | 251 |
| Other | 193 |
Import seasonality
What this shows: Average monthly import pattern from historical data.
Exports by country
What this shows: Export market volume by destination country from the UK.
Top 5 values
| Country | £ |
|---|---|
| Ireland | 409,136,005 |
| Netherlands | 48,233,368 |
| France | 40,401,210 |
| United States | 29,705,475 |
| Germany | 28,966,981 |
Export countries rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Destination countries are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month export volume, right side by second 12-month export volume, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Country | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 211,365,865 | 197,770,140 | -13,595,725 |
| Netherlands | 24,894,053 | 23,339,315 | -1,554,738 |
| France | 22,758,959 | 17,642,251 | -5,116,708 |
| United States | 16,583,122 | 13,122,353 | -3,460,769 |
| Germany | 17,078,223 | 11,888,758 | -5,189,465 |
| United Arab Emirates | 12,922,533 | 11,036,038 | -1,886,495 |
| Poland | 9,310,044 | 8,852,507 | -457,537 |
| Belgium | 10,703,574 | 6,068,354 | -4,635,220 |
| Australia | 8,365,795 | 6,958,561 | -1,407,234 |
| Canada | 8,005,688 | 4,271,493 | -3,734,195 |
Exports by country of origin
What this shows: Export volume by production origin country. For re-exports, indicates where goods originated before UK export.
Top 5 values
| Origin | £ |
|---|---|
| XI | 58,835,469 |
| Nicaragua | 32,724,370 |
| Ireland | 31,353,305 |
| Belgium | 6,714,296 |
| Netherlands | 3,945,678 |
Export origin countries rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Origin countries are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month export value, right side by second 12-month export value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Origin | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| XI | 29,614,198 | 29,221,271 | -392,927 |
| Nicaragua | 2,919,523 | 29,804,847 | +26,885,324 |
| Ireland | 28,121,670 | 3,231,635 | -24,890,035 |
| Belgium | 3,237,166 | 3,477,130 | +239,964 |
| Netherlands | 1,769,113 | 2,176,565 | +407,452 |
| Italy | 1,130,828 | 960,441 | -170,387 |
| China | 674,148 | 394,436 | -279,712 |
| Greece | 549,205 | 461,234 | -87,971 |
| Spain | 467,274 | 340,941 | -126,333 |
| France | 324,765 | 302,953 | -21,812 |
Export volume by transport
What this shows: Export value by transport mode used to ship goods from the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 417,413,669 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 205,783,594 |
| Other | 172,394,636 |
| Air transport | 17,544,444 |
| Road transport | 48,522 |
Export transport rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Transport modes are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month export value, right side by second 12-month export value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Transport | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 223,953,885 | 193,459,784 | -30,494,101 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 112,766,429 | 93,017,165 | -19,749,264 |
| Other | 84,272,028 | 88,122,608 | +3,850,580 |
| Air transport | 11,828,716 | 5,715,728 | -6,112,988 |
| Road transport | 9,146 | 39,376 | +30,230 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| 000 | 170,724,175 |
| Liverpool Docks | 162,071,531 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 112,207,006 |
| Holyhead | 93,556,008 |
| London Gateway Port | 71,138,375 |
Export port rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Ports are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month export value, right side by second 12-month export value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Port | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 000 | 84,052,867 | 86,671,308 | +2,618,441 |
| Liverpool Docks | 87,154,823 | 74,916,708 | -12,238,115 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 62,484,882 | 49,722,124 | -12,762,758 |
| Holyhead | 48,709,905 | 44,846,103 | -3,863,802 |
| London Gateway Port | 39,020,905 | 32,117,470 | -6,903,435 |
| Immingham Docks | 17,086,112 | 13,715,590 | -3,370,522 |
| Southampton | 13,164,000 | 13,096,363 | -67,637 |
| Felixstowe | 13,799,594 | 11,983,552 | -1,816,042 |
| Dover | 11,499,219 | 10,404,533 | -1,094,686 |
| Hull | 11,016,357 | 10,323,861 | -692,496 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
- 2001 – Vinegar or acetic acid-preserved plant foods
- 2002 – Canned or preserved tomatoes (not in vinegar)
- 2003 – Canned or preserved mushrooms and truffles
- 2004 – Frozen prepared vegetables
- 2005 – Non-frozen prepared vegetables
- 2006 – Preserved fruits, vegetables, and nuts in sugar
- 2007 – Jams, jellies, and fruit pastes
- 2008 – Prepared or preserved fruits, nuts, and edible plant parts
- 2009 – Fruit, nut, and vegetable juices
Quick facts
HS code: 20
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Includes vegetables, fruits, nuts, and other edible plant parts that are prepared or preserved in various ways, such as by vinegar or acetic acid