Import/export HS code 2505: Natural sands
Sands found in nature, used in construction, glass-making, and other industries
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | 16,068,516 |
| Germany | 13,496,281 |
| Belgium | 10,648,793 |
| Ireland | 9,737,426 |
| United States | 4,559,017 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 8,044,141 | 8,024,375 | -19,766 |
| Germany | 4,267,456 | 9,228,825 | +4,961,369 |
| Belgium | 5,797,709 | 4,851,084 | -946,625 |
| Ireland | 5,017,095 | 4,720,331 | -296,764 |
| United States | 2,227,468 | 2,331,549 | +104,081 |
| Denmark | 1,617,811 | 2,471,662 | +853,851 |
| Portugal | 1,531,192 | 1,697,190 | +165,998 |
| France | 916,205 | 876,368 | -39,837 |
| Canada | 1,151,952 | 635,348 | -516,604 |
| China | 353,606 | 473,961 | +120,355 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Germany | 12,785,994 |
| Belgium | 9,695,703 |
| Netherlands | 8,822,095 |
| Australia | 7,860,035 |
| Ireland | 6,872,862 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 4,105,950 | 8,680,044 | +4,574,094 |
| Belgium | 5,309,446 | 4,386,257 | -923,189 |
| Netherlands | 3,982,388 | 4,839,707 | +857,319 |
| Australia | 4,156,519 | 3,703,516 | -453,003 |
| Ireland | 3,663,946 | 3,208,916 | -455,030 |
| United States | 2,384,234 | 2,483,705 | +99,471 |
| Denmark | 1,852,723 | 2,702,190 | +849,467 |
| Canada | 1,134,582 | 618,041 | -516,541 |
| Portugal | 878,389 | 792,703 | -85,686 |
| France | 818,325 | 783,333 | -34,992 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 11 |
| West Yorkshire | 5 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 4 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 4 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 4 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 8 | 10 | +2 |
| West Yorkshire | 5 | 3 | -2 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 4 | 4 | +0 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 3 | 3 | +0 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 3 | 3 | +0 |
| West Midlands | 3 | 2 | -1 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | 3 | 2 | -1 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 2 | 3 | +1 |
| Merseyside | 2 | 2 | +0 |
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) | 33,056,545 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 29,663,016 |
| Other | 4,665,282 |
| Air transport | 547,099 |
| Road transport | 9,856 |
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) | 16,853,692 | 16,202,853 | -650,839 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 12,563,788 | 17,099,228 | +4,535,440 |
| Other | 2,095,722 | 2,569,560 | +473,838 |
| Air transport | 182,434 | 364,665 | +182,231 |
| Road transport | 3,535 | 6,321 | +2,786 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 9,160,871 |
| Blyth Harbour | 6,911,419 |
| Southampton | 5,909,278 |
| Holyhead | 5,500,426 |
| Dover | 4,929,208 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 4,506,119 | 4,654,752 | +148,633 |
| Blyth Harbour | 1,636,018 | 5,275,401 | +3,639,383 |
| Southampton | 3,424,932 | 2,484,346 | -940,586 |
| Holyhead | 2,898,722 | 2,601,704 | -297,018 |
| Dover | 2,514,079 | 2,415,129 | -98,950 |
| 000 | 2,095,722 | 2,569,560 | +473,838 |
| Felixstowe | 2,000,079 | 2,240,444 | +240,365 |
| Goole | 1,425,818 | 2,289,309 | +863,491 |
| London | 1,492,271 | 2,129,351 | +637,080 |
| Eurotunnel | 1,333,390 | 1,467,708 | +134,318 |
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 | 28 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 13 |
| Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products | 7 |
| Activities of head offices; management consultancy activities | 3 |
| Financial service activities, except insurance and pension funding | 3 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 15 |
| 2025-11 | 15 |
| 2025-10 | 23 |
| 2025-09 | 14 |
| 2025-08 | 20 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| ALF (AQUATIC DISTRIBUTORS) LTD | 74 |
| ROLF C. HAGEN (U.K.) LIMITED | 68 |
| CORNELIUS GROUP PLC | 61 |
| PEREGRINE LIVEFOODS LTD | 59 |
| J & K AQUATICS LIMITED | 42 |
| BAKER ROSS LIMITED | 40 |
| CROWN CREST GROUP LIMITED | 40 |
| JBL ENTERPRISE UK LTD | 39 |
| HAPPY PET PRODUCTS LIMITED | 32 |
| SIGMA-ALDRICH COMPANY LIMITED | 29 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 24 |
| 54m+ | 24 |
| 0-1m | 12 |
| 15m-54m | 12 |
| Other | 4 |
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 | 12,711,797 |
| China | 3,266,446 |
| India | 3,103,565 |
| Germany | 1,080,228 |
| Thailand | 1,002,153 |
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 | 6,286,339 | 6,425,458 | +139,119 |
| China | 1,142,743 | 2,123,703 | +980,960 |
| India | 1,314,001 | 1,789,564 | +475,563 |
| Germany | 946,285 | 133,943 | -812,342 |
| Thailand | 361,317 | 640,836 | +279,519 |
| Poland | 269,447 | 413,399 | +143,952 |
| United Arab Emirates | 47,609 | 471,896 | +424,287 |
| France | 130,743 | 286,176 | +155,433 |
| Saudi Arabia | 213,304 | 195,324 | -17,980 |
| Sweden | 140,386 | 215,401 | +75,015 |
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 | 10,235,569 |
| Ireland | 230,587 |
| Spain | 21,137 |
| China | 14,058 |
| Germany | 7,278 |
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 | 5,013,165 | 5,222,404 | +209,239 |
| Ireland | 109,046 | 121,541 | +12,495 |
| Spain | 21,137 | 0 | -21,137 |
| China | 7,888 | 6,170 | -1,718 |
| Germany | 4,242 | 3,036 | -1,206 |
| South Africa | 695 | 1,071 | +376 |
| Italy | 1,572 | 0 | -1,572 |
| Malaysia | 556 | 885 | +329 |
| Turkey | 455 | 305 | -150 |
| Netherlands | 208 | 179 | -29 |
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) | 10,960,760 |
| Other | 10,586,531 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 6,553,659 |
| Air transport | 424,681 |
| Rail transport | 8,360 |
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) | 4,605,247 | 6,355,513 | +1,750,266 |
| Other | 5,195,581 | 5,390,950 | +195,369 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 3,079,293 | 3,474,366 | +395,073 |
| Air transport | 236,780 | 187,901 | -48,879 |
| Rail transport | 8,360 | 0 | -8,360 |
| Road transport | 6,157 | 0 | -6,157 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| 000 | 10,586,531 |
| Southampton | 4,713,551 |
| Felixstowe | 3,358,808 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 3,335,752 |
| London Gateway Port | 2,095,976 |
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 | 5,195,581 | 5,390,950 | +195,369 |
| Southampton | 1,871,450 | 2,842,101 | +970,651 |
| Felixstowe | 1,439,900 | 1,918,908 | +479,008 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 1,656,989 | 1,678,763 | +21,774 |
| London Gateway Port | 767,888 | 1,328,088 | +560,200 |
| Liverpool Docks | 513,113 | 568,823 | +55,710 |
| Immingham Docks | 288,811 | 572,747 | +283,936 |
| Holyhead | 297,465 | 285,678 | -11,787 |
| Heysham | 176,348 | 169,187 | -7,161 |
| Dover | 188,517 | 23,841 | -164,676 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
Quick facts
HS code: 2505
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Sands found in nature, used in construction, glass-making, and other industries