Import/export HS code 26: Ores, Slag, and Ash
Raw materials like ores, slag, and ash used in industries. Includes iron ores, roasted iron pyrites, and similar materials
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| South Africa | 810,256,965 |
| United States | 507,992,600 |
| Netherlands | 426,630,056 |
| Germany | 299,458,196 |
| Norway | 179,233,018 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 374,985,094 | 435,271,871 | +60,286,777 |
| United States | 305,852,770 | 202,139,830 | -103,712,940 |
| Netherlands | 197,171,011 | 229,459,045 | +32,288,034 |
| Germany | 158,266,994 | 141,191,202 | -17,075,792 |
| Norway | 97,575,356 | 81,657,662 | -15,917,694 |
| Canada | 73,234,371 | 42,366,372 | -30,867,999 |
| Spain | 36,152,262 | 31,455,437 | -4,696,825 |
| Australia | 64,750,316 | 177,517 | -64,572,799 |
| Sweden | 43,514,141 | 12,224,362 | -31,289,779 |
| Brazil | 29,972,166 | 21,962,628 | -8,009,538 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| South Africa | 895,586,440 |
| United States | 582,319,501 |
| Germany | 294,278,660 |
| Sweden | 173,277,794 |
| Australia | 115,103,999 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 409,084,775 | 486,501,665 | +77,416,890 |
| United States | 353,290,350 | 229,029,151 | -124,261,199 |
| Germany | 153,907,766 | 140,370,894 | -13,536,872 |
| Sweden | 90,536,800 | 82,740,994 | -7,795,806 |
| Australia | 67,331,500 | 47,772,499 | -19,559,001 |
| Netherlands | 68,664,953 | 44,693,854 | -23,971,099 |
| Canada | 73,060,714 | 39,891,445 | -33,169,269 |
| Brazil | 48,416,772 | 39,231,152 | -9,185,620 |
| Spain | 37,773,186 | 32,276,061 | -5,497,125 |
| Norway | 52,334,156 | 15,463,501 | -36,870,655 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 10 |
| East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire | 7 |
| West Midlands | 7 |
| Inner London - West | 6 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 5 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 7 | 8 | +1 |
| East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire | 5 | 7 | +2 |
| West Midlands | 4 | 3 | -1 |
| Inner London - West | 4 | 5 | +1 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 4 | 4 | +0 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 4 | 5 | +1 |
| Merseyside | 3 | 5 | +2 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 3 | 2 | -1 |
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Greater Manchester | 2 | 3 | +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) | 1,603,578,270 |
| Air transport | 787,243,385 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 497,109,499 |
| Other | 2,025,954 |
| Road transport | 1,051 |
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) | 944,305,734 | 659,272,536 | -285,033,198 |
| Air transport | 401,000,189 | 386,243,196 | -14,756,993 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 226,338,449 | 270,771,050 | +44,432,601 |
| Other | 1,727,065 | 298,889 | -1,428,176 |
| Road transport | 1,051 | 0 | -1,051 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 786,457,535 |
| Immingham Docks | 577,779,680 |
| Southampton | 324,996,613 |
| Dover | 288,903,562 |
| Felixstowe | 213,375,712 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 400,522,210 | 385,935,325 | -14,586,885 |
| Immingham Docks | 270,575,419 | 307,204,261 | +36,628,842 |
| Southampton | 149,026,368 | 175,970,245 | +26,943,877 |
| Dover | 135,614,244 | 153,289,318 | +17,675,074 |
| Felixstowe | 151,847,685 | 61,528,027 | -90,319,658 |
| Port Talbot | 154,601,365 | 13,182,422 | -141,418,943 |
| Hartlepool | 107,654,432 | 978,873 | -106,675,559 |
| Middlesbrough | 15,083,362 | 53,377,192 | +38,293,830 |
| Medway | 35,586,705 | 25,227,040 | -10,359,665 |
| London | 33,758,381 | 21,747,526 | -12,010,855 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
| Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products | 21 |
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 17 |
| Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products | 15 |
| Activities of head offices; management consultancy activities | 12 |
| Other manufacturing | 9 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2025-11 | 33 |
| 2025-10 | 20 |
| 2025-09 | 22 |
| 2025-08 | 31 |
| 2025-07 | 26 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| REMET UK LIMITED | 95 |
| JOHNSON MATTHEY PLC | 79 |
| LKAB MINERALS LIMITED | 73 |
| HOWMET LIMITED | 63 |
| TATA STEEL UK LIMITED | 60 |
| BRITISH STEEL LIMITED | 55 |
| VIBRANTZ MINERALS LIMITED | 51 |
| LKAB HOLDINGS (UK) LIMITED | 49 |
| LEADER (UK) LTD | 46 |
| RESCO PRODUCTS (UK) LIMITED | 40 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 54m+ | 36 |
| 1m-15m | 35 |
| 15m-54m | 13 |
| Other | 10 |
| 0-1m | 3 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | 115,291,121 |
| Canada | 96,699,630 |
| Poland | 25,075,912 |
| Belgium | 19,630,956 |
| Germany | 9,743,831 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 70,105,809 | 45,185,312 | -24,920,497 |
| Canada | 61,540,992 | 35,158,638 | -26,382,354 |
| Poland | 13,364,061 | 11,711,851 | -1,652,210 |
| Belgium | 9,283,791 | 10,347,165 | +1,063,374 |
| Germany | 2,990,182 | 6,753,649 | +3,763,467 |
| Spain | 3,833,471 | 2,812,187 | -1,021,284 |
| Kenya | 2,130,137 | 3,504,587 | +1,374,450 |
| Denmark | 2,508,655 | 2,285,035 | -223,620 |
| India | 1,947,186 | 2,582,893 | +635,707 |
| Italy | 1,699,988 | 2,797,654 | +1,097,666 |
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 | 868,829 |
| Ireland | 16,406 |
| XU | 9,533 |
| QV | 192 |
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 | 405,907 | 462,922 | +57,015 |
| Ireland | 2,903 | 13,503 | +10,600 |
| XU | 2,985 | 6,548 | +3,563 |
| QV | 23 | 169 | +146 |
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) | 161,723,890 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 151,914,687 |
| Air transport | 1,474,268 |
| Other | 995,765 |
| Rail transport | 5,059 |
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) | 85,909,088 | 75,814,802 | -10,094,286 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 94,211,048 | 57,703,639 | -36,507,409 |
| Air transport | 877,122 | 597,146 | -279,976 |
| Other | 411,818 | 583,947 | +172,129 |
| Rail transport | 5,059 | 0 | -5,059 |
| Road transport | 2,000 | 0 | -2,000 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Middlesbrough | 75,872,804 |
| Felixstowe | 55,788,208 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 47,775,451 |
| Immingham Docks | 47,322,718 |
| Southampton | 23,527,305 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesbrough | 43,636,130 | 32,236,674 | -11,399,456 |
| Felixstowe | 37,687,526 | 18,100,682 | -19,586,844 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 23,118,199 | 24,657,252 | +1,539,053 |
| Immingham Docks | 24,710,509 | 22,612,209 | -2,098,300 |
| Southampton | 19,910,679 | 3,616,626 | -16,294,053 |
| Eurotunnel | 6,543,287 | 5,822,511 | -720,776 |
| London | 3,554,566 | 5,368,755 | +1,814,189 |
| London Gateway Port | 2,203,707 | 5,930,741 | +3,727,034 |
| Swansea | 2,179,373 | 5,462,206 | +3,282,833 |
| Harwich | 3,560,740 | 3,945,635 | +384,895 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
- 2601 – Iron Ores and Concentrates
- 2602 – Manganese ores and concentrates
- 2603 – Copper ores and concentrates
- 2604 – Nickel ores and concentrates
- 2605 – Cobalt ores and concentrates
- 2606 – Aluminium ores and concentrates
- 2607 – Lead ores and concentrates
- 2608 – Zinc ores and concentrates
- 2609 – Tin ores and concentrates
- 2610 – Chromium ores and concentrates
- 2611 – Tungsten ores and concentrates
- 2612 – Uranium and thorium ores
- 2613 – Molybdenum ores and concentrates
- 2614 – Titanium ores and concentrates
- 2615 – Niobium, tantalum, vanadium, or zirconium ores and concentrates
- 2616 – Ores and concentrates of precious metals
- 2617 – Various ores and concentrates
- 2618 – Granulated slag from iron or steel production
- 2619 – Waste from iron or steel production
- 2620 – Waste materials with metals or harmful chemicals
- 2621 – Various slag, ash, or waste ash
Quick facts
HS code: 26
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Raw materials like ores, slag, and ash used in industries. Includes iron ores, roasted iron pyrites, and similar materials