Import/export HS code 28: Inorganic Chemicals
Chemicals made from non-living materials, including compounds of precious metals, rare-earth metals, radioactive elements, or isotopes
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Germany | 535,308,382 |
| Netherlands | 383,249,662 |
| United States | 361,926,782 |
| China | 320,682,115 |
| Belgium | 307,099,672 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 286,857,479 | 248,450,903 | -38,406,576 |
| Netherlands | 189,771,497 | 193,478,165 | +3,706,668 |
| United States | 192,034,185 | 169,892,597 | -22,141,588 |
| China | 171,257,937 | 149,424,178 | -21,833,759 |
| Belgium | 179,628,999 | 127,470,673 | -52,158,326 |
| France | 148,338,422 | 121,483,706 | -26,854,716 |
| Ireland | 64,921,632 | 67,292,922 | +2,371,290 |
| Spain | 61,477,761 | 42,631,684 | -18,846,077 |
| Israel | 60,984,217 | 37,893,321 | -23,090,896 |
| Turkey | 61,346,881 | 36,387,093 | -24,959,788 |
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 | 481,953,321 |
| United States | 414,005,787 |
| China | 378,931,892 |
| Belgium | 201,178,232 |
| France | 183,444,686 |
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 | 255,524,446 | 226,428,875 | -29,095,571 |
| United States | 222,893,427 | 191,112,360 | -31,781,067 |
| China | 205,186,073 | 173,745,819 | -31,440,254 |
| Belgium | 109,493,029 | 91,685,203 | -17,807,826 |
| France | 97,071,006 | 86,373,680 | -10,697,326 |
| Netherlands | 89,900,790 | 73,185,020 | -16,715,770 |
| Turkey | 75,525,547 | 61,609,865 | -13,915,682 |
| Algeria | 67,113,328 | 50,801,454 | -16,311,874 |
| Spain | 62,501,630 | 41,979,964 | -20,521,666 |
| Israel | 63,451,542 | 39,884,027 | -23,567,515 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 84 |
| Greater Manchester | 81 |
| Inner London - West | 75 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 68 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 61 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 66 | 71 | +5 |
| Greater Manchester | 68 | 63 | -5 |
| Inner London - West | 60 | 51 | -9 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 60 | 49 | -11 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 51 | 47 | -4 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 46 | 48 | +2 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 46 | 46 | +0 |
| West Midlands | 34 | 39 | +5 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 36 | 38 | +2 |
| West Yorkshire | 36 | 44 | +8 |
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) | 1,933,898,014 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,101,462,874 |
| Air transport | 333,055,440 |
| Other | 216,981,497 |
| Road transport | 15,319,547 |
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) | 1,084,289,359 | 849,608,655 | -234,680,704 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 564,666,477 | 536,796,397 | -27,870,080 |
| Air transport | 174,773,306 | 158,282,134 | -16,491,172 |
| Other | 134,015,810 | 82,965,687 | -51,050,123 |
| Road transport | 11,857,406 | 3,462,141 | -8,395,265 |
| Rail transport | 54,220 | 41,979 | -12,241 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 470,416,156 |
| Middlesbrough | 333,450,675 |
| Southampton | 283,311,036 |
| Felixstowe | 282,995,466 |
| Dover | 246,061,382 |
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 | 234,713,390 | 235,702,766 | +989,376 |
| Middlesbrough | 198,346,756 | 135,103,919 | -63,242,837 |
| Southampton | 158,680,567 | 124,630,469 | -34,050,098 |
| Felixstowe | 160,519,211 | 122,476,255 | -38,042,956 |
| Dover | 111,718,887 | 134,342,495 | +22,623,608 |
| London | 141,354,769 | 92,867,887 | -48,486,882 |
| Liverpool Docks | 115,729,267 | 102,808,552 | -12,920,715 |
| 000 | 133,978,233 | 82,631,418 | -51,346,815 |
| Eurotunnel | 97,511,851 | 65,319,389 | -32,192,462 |
| London Gateway Port | 74,743,648 | 66,305,551 | -8,438,097 |
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 | 405 |
| Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products | 240 |
| Manufacture of food products | 102 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 98 |
| Other manufacturing | 94 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 457 |
| 2025-11 | 443 |
| 2025-10 | 465 |
| 2025-09 | 456 |
| 2025-08 | 454 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| JOHNSON MATTHEY PLC | 120 |
| COLORCON LIMITED | 120 |
| BIACHEM LIMITED | 120 |
| SIGMA-ALDRICH COMPANY LIMITED | 120 |
| AVOCADO RESEARCH CHEMICALS LIMITED | 120 |
| YARA UK LIMITED | 120 |
| LIFE TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED | 120 |
| B & M RETAIL LIMITED | 119 |
| 151 PRODUCTS LIMITED | 119 |
| IMCD UK LIMITED | 119 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 54m+ | 590 |
| 1m-15m | 464 |
| 15m-54m | 164 |
| Other | 107 |
| 0-1m | 92 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Belgium | 807,471,371 |
| United States | 376,278,666 |
| Germany | 354,844,858 |
| France | 341,831,473 |
| North Macedonia | 287,861,466 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 411,023,846 | 396,447,525 | -14,576,321 |
| United States | 254,307,418 | 121,971,248 | -132,336,170 |
| Germany | 175,606,693 | 179,238,165 | +3,631,472 |
| France | 182,722,780 | 159,108,693 | -23,614,087 |
| North Macedonia | 147,301,899 | 140,559,567 | -6,742,332 |
| Ireland | 86,886,924 | 74,996,246 | -11,890,678 |
| Netherlands | 68,016,931 | 46,294,181 | -21,722,750 |
| Switzerland | 44,401,061 | 27,708,677 | -16,692,384 |
| China | 49,059,919 | 17,288,069 | -31,771,850 |
| Poland | 21,388,604 | 38,062,312 | +16,673,708 |
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 | 8,695,420 |
| Morocco | 5,448,626 |
| France | 1,544,707 |
| Finland | 910,242 |
| Brazil | 646,995 |
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 | 4,546,682 | 4,148,738 | -397,944 |
| Morocco | 2,508,450 | 2,940,176 | +431,726 |
| France | 1,246,810 | 297,897 | -948,913 |
| Finland | 247,975 | 662,267 | +414,292 |
| Brazil | 262,670 | 384,325 | +121,655 |
| Mexico | 317,766 | 286,709 | -31,057 |
| Netherlands | 298,287 | 236,443 | -61,844 |
| Sweden | 359,160 | 27,365 | -331,795 |
| China | 226,042 | 140,338 | -85,704 |
| Belgium | 221,581 | 116,712 | -104,869 |
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) | 2,019,088,838 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 596,562,280 |
| Air transport | 548,422,005 |
| Other | 30,447,227 |
| Road transport | 350,320 |
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) | 1,030,799,142 | 988,289,696 | -42,509,446 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 441,292,306 | 155,269,974 | -286,022,332 |
| Air transport | 278,080,834 | 270,341,171 | -7,739,663 |
| Other | 17,931,077 | 12,516,150 | -5,414,927 |
| Road transport | 336,887 | 13,433 | -323,454 |
| Rail transport | 0 | 2,394 | +2,394 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 1,413,496,839 |
| Southampton | 308,490,676 |
| Birmingham Airport | 278,657,220 |
| Hull | 249,827,519 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 197,152,832 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 639,747,898 | 773,748,941 | +134,001,043 |
| Southampton | 233,053,303 | 75,437,373 | -157,615,930 |
| Birmingham Airport | 143,512,778 | 135,144,442 | -8,368,336 |
| Hull | 244,064,068 | 5,763,451 | -238,300,617 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 97,048,907 | 100,103,925 | +3,055,018 |
| Immingham Docks | 77,952,568 | 71,304,522 | -6,648,046 |
| Liverpool Docks | 68,085,321 | 46,304,236 | -21,781,085 |
| London Gateway Port | 62,491,891 | 38,097,293 | -24,394,598 |
| Dover | 41,807,152 | 48,553,002 | +6,745,850 |
| Felixstowe | 25,384,350 | 15,309,059 | -10,075,291 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
- 2801 – Fluorine, Chlorine, Bromine, Iodine
- 2802 – Sulphur, refined or powdered
- 2803 – Carbon in various forms
- 2804 – Hydrogen, rare gases, and other non-metals
- 2805 – Alkali and rare-earth metals
- 2806 – Hydrogen chloride and chlorosulphuric acid
- 2807 – Sulphuric acid and oleum
- 2808 – Nitric acid and mixed acids
- 2809 – Phosphorus compounds for industry
- 2810 – Boron oxides and boric acids
- 2811 – Inorganic acids and oxygen compounds
- 2812 – Non-metal halides and halide oxides
- 2813 – Non-metal sulphides
- 2814 – Ammonia, in gas or liquid form
- 2815 – Strong cleaning chemicals
- 2816 – Hydroxide and peroxide of magnesium
- 2817 – Zinc oxide and zinc peroxide
- 2818 – Artificial corundum and aluminium compounds
- 2819 – Chromium oxides and hydroxides
- 2820 – Manganese oxides
- 2821 – Iron oxides and earth colours
- 2822 – Cobalt oxides and hydroxides
- 2823 – Titanium oxides
- 2824 – Lead oxides
- 2825 – Hydrazine, hydroxylamine, and inorganic bases
- 2826 – Fluorides and fluorine salts
- 2827 – Chlorides, bromides, and iodides
- 2828 – Hypochlorites and related chemicals
- 2829 – Chlorates, perchlorates, bromates, and iodates
- 2830 – Sulphides and polysulphides
- 2831 – Dithionites and sulphoxylates
- 2832 – Sulphites and thiosulphates
- 2833 – Sulphates, alums, and peroxosulphates
- 2834 – Nitrites and nitrates
- 2835 – Phosphinates, phosphonates, phosphates, and polyphosphates
- 2836 – Carbonates and related chemicals
- 2837 – Cyanides and related compounds
- 2839 – Silicates
- 2840 – Borates and peroxoborates
- 2841 – Salts of oxometallic or peroxometallic acids
- 2842 – Various salts of inorganic acids or peroxoacids
- 2843 – Colloidal precious metals and their compounds
- 2844 – Radioactive elements and isotopes
- 2845 – Isotopes and their compounds
- 2846 – Rare-earth metal compounds
- 2847 – Hydrogen peroxide, solid or liquid
- 2849 – Carbides, chemically defined or not
- 2850 – Chemical compounds like hydrides, nitrides, azides, silicides, and borides
- 2852 – Mercury compounds, inorganic or organic
- 2853 – Chemical compounds like phosphides and other inorganic substances
Quick facts
HS code: 28
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Chemicals made from non-living materials, including compounds of precious metals, rare-earth metals, radioactive elements, or isotopes