Import/export HS code 2208: Ethyl alcohol for drinks
Pure alcohol used in spirits, liqueurs, and other alcoholic drinks. Strength is less than 80% alcohol by volume
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| France | 348,518,841 |
| United States | 286,576,559 |
| Italy | 261,987,903 |
| Netherlands | 256,856,807 |
| Ireland | 176,677,480 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 183,093,305 | 165,425,536 | -17,667,769 |
| United States | 145,813,415 | 140,763,144 | -5,050,271 |
| Italy | 143,972,583 | 118,015,320 | -25,957,263 |
| Netherlands | 126,603,809 | 130,252,998 | +3,649,189 |
| Ireland | 90,271,313 | 86,406,167 | -3,865,146 |
| Belgium | 49,848,043 | 61,220,621 | +11,372,578 |
| Mexico | 43,220,464 | 51,421,678 | +8,201,214 |
| Spain | 53,811,511 | 37,468,644 | -16,342,867 |
| Germany | 33,857,665 | 33,478,050 | -379,615 |
| Sweden | 27,388,514 | 27,871,710 | +483,196 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| United States | 348,187,816 |
| France | 310,969,335 |
| Italy | 190,145,820 |
| Netherlands | 166,993,935 |
| Ireland | 152,891,391 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 179,765,430 | 168,422,386 | -11,343,044 |
| France | 159,136,283 | 151,833,052 | -7,303,231 |
| Italy | 102,001,296 | 88,144,524 | -13,856,772 |
| Netherlands | 78,990,904 | 88,003,031 | +9,012,127 |
| Ireland | 79,101,552 | 73,789,839 | -5,311,713 |
| Mexico | 57,158,216 | 72,154,667 | +14,996,451 |
| United Kingdom | 46,581,029 | 40,691,967 | -5,889,062 |
| Germany | 43,478,649 | 42,072,209 | -1,406,440 |
| Sweden | 39,946,918 | 26,436,552 | -13,510,366 |
| Belgium | 22,600,735 | 28,153,935 | +5,553,200 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 101 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 66 |
| Inner London - East | 58 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 35 |
| Outer London - East and North East | 34 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 77 | 78 | +1 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 58 | 49 | -9 |
| Inner London - East | 40 | 46 | +6 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 30 | 20 | -10 |
| Outer London - East and North East | 26 | 28 | +2 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 23 | 24 | +1 |
| Greater Manchester | 19 | 15 | -4 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 20 | 17 | -3 |
| Essex | 16 | 13 | -3 |
| Outer London - South | 17 | 18 | +1 |
Import volume by transport
What this shows: Import value by transport mode used to bring goods into the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 901,742,848 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 499,810,205 |
| Other | 314,416,568 |
| Air transport | 123,895,168 |
| Own propulsion (e.g. imported vehicle driven across land boundary) | 62,386,841 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 469,956,527 | 431,786,321 | -38,170,206 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 259,569,475 | 240,240,730 | -19,328,745 |
| Other | 186,638,698 | 127,777,870 | -58,860,828 |
| Air transport | 63,169,635 | 60,725,533 | -2,444,102 |
| Own propulsion (e.g. imported vehicle driven across land boundary) | 0 | 62,386,841 | +62,386,841 |
| Road transport | 139,204 | 11,854,682 | +11,715,478 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| 000 | 314,416,568 |
| London | 231,391,740 |
| Immingham Docks | 179,046,986 |
| Liverpool Docks | 161,227,272 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 120,729,114 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 000 | 186,638,698 | 127,777,870 | -58,860,828 |
| London | 109,813,042 | 121,578,698 | +11,765,656 |
| Immingham Docks | 86,030,620 | 93,016,366 | +6,985,746 |
| Liverpool Docks | 85,692,226 | 75,535,046 | -10,157,180 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 57,406,936 | 63,322,178 | +5,915,242 |
| Dover | 61,202,965 | 55,743,306 | -5,459,659 |
| Hull | 64,357,323 | 43,057,574 | -21,299,749 |
| Coventry Airport | 49,257,995 | 45,119,439 | -4,138,556 |
| London Gateway Port | 51,955,674 | 30,630,132 | -21,325,542 |
| 499 | 123,874 | 75,010,784 | +74,886,910 |
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 | 394 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 153 |
| Manufacture of beverages | 74 |
| Food and beverage service activities | 43 |
| Office administrative, office support and other business support activities | 29 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2025-11 | 195 |
| 2025-10 | 201 |
| 2025-09 | 193 |
| 2025-08 | 166 |
| 2025-07 | 202 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| DIAGEO SCOTLAND LIMITED | 119 |
| PERNOD RICARD UK LIMITED | 117 |
| GLEN GRANT LIMITED | 116 |
| KOREA FOODS COMPANY LIMITED | 112 |
| WILLIAM GRANT & SONS DISTILLERS LIMITED | 112 |
| AMATHUS DRINKS PLC | 110 |
| GALLO VINEYARDS INC | 110 |
| SAZERAC UK LIMITED | 109 |
| MARUSSIA BEVERAGES UK LIMITED | 108 |
| SCOTCH WHISKY AUCTIONS LIMITED | 107 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 256 |
| 0-1m | 168 |
| 54m+ | 119 |
| 15m-54m | 72 |
| Other | 41 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| United States | 2,462,757,929 |
| France | 892,868,631 |
| Singapore | 598,090,972 |
| Taiwan | 518,995,624 |
| India | 516,910,559 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 1,285,521,993 | 1,177,235,936 | -108,286,057 |
| France | 460,793,005 | 432,075,626 | -28,717,379 |
| Singapore | 329,092,920 | 268,998,052 | -60,094,868 |
| Taiwan | 305,062,447 | 213,933,177 | -91,129,270 |
| India | 252,995,975 | 263,914,584 | +10,918,609 |
| Germany | 254,934,219 | 250,420,620 | -4,513,599 |
| Spain | 244,854,192 | 247,402,402 | +2,548,210 |
| Turkey | 194,728,449 | 254,804,813 | +60,076,364 |
| Japan | 200,701,038 | 147,024,664 | -53,676,374 |
| China | 172,989,043 | 160,758,340 | -12,230,703 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Germany | 67,821,922 |
| Ireland | 60,093,349 |
| XI | 49,706,517 |
| Italy | 31,866,067 |
| Spain | 26,762,592 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 34,352,177 | 33,469,745 | -882,432 |
| Ireland | 26,006,902 | 34,086,447 | +8,079,545 |
| XI | 27,071,370 | 22,635,147 | -4,436,223 |
| Italy | 18,445,469 | 13,420,598 | -5,024,871 |
| Spain | 13,370,761 | 13,391,831 | +21,070 |
| France | 8,746,712 | 7,456,455 | -1,290,257 |
| Romania | 5,521,120 | 4,265,458 | -1,255,662 |
| Denmark | 3,519,673 | 4,061,860 | +542,187 |
| Japan | 1,218,901 | 1,430,408 | +211,507 |
| Poland | 1,247,203 | 1,278,012 | +30,809 |
Export volume by transport
What this shows: Export value by transport mode used to ship goods from the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 11,312,924,460 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 555,269,793 |
| Road transport | 309,839,223 |
| Other | 282,521,617 |
| Air transport | 266,339,139 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 5,906,283,596 | 5,406,640,864 | -499,642,732 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 283,043,973 | 272,225,820 | -10,818,153 |
| Road transport | 109,567,398 | 200,271,825 | +90,704,427 |
| Other | 143,667,651 | 138,853,966 | -4,813,685 |
| Air transport | 157,060,416 | 109,278,723 | -47,781,693 |
| Rail transport | 120,869 | 391,099 | +270,230 |
| Own propulsion (e.g. imported vehicle driven across land boundary) | 76,676 | 207,301 | +130,625 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| ZLC | 10,544,000,502 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 375,386,827 |
| 000 | 282,521,617 |
| Middlesbrough | 249,662,738 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 238,945,222 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZLC | 5,437,403,358 | 5,106,597,144 | -330,806,214 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 223,314,041 | 152,072,786 | -71,241,255 |
| 000 | 143,667,651 | 138,853,966 | -4,813,685 |
| Middlesbrough | 129,410,020 | 120,252,718 | -9,157,302 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 123,469,878 | 115,475,344 | -7,994,534 |
| Southampton | 66,181,572 | 71,190,515 | +5,008,943 |
| London Gateway Port | 70,485,824 | 62,663,103 | -7,822,721 |
| Belfast Port | 57,347,676 | 53,073,626 | -4,274,050 |
| Immingham Docks | 54,164,813 | 52,009,320 | -2,155,493 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 58,242,383 | 47,187,607 | -11,054,776 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
Quick facts
HS code: 2208
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Pure alcohol used in spirits, liqueurs, and other alcoholic drinks. Strength is less than 80% alcohol by volume