Import/export HS code 280421: Argon
A rare gas used in welding, lighting, and as a protective atmosphere in industrial processes
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 | 19,613,029 |
| Belgium | 4,703,144 |
| Germany | 2,632,245 |
| France | 1,701,587 |
| Ireland | 685,740 |
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 | 10,172,450 | 9,440,579 | -731,871 |
| Belgium | 1,963,168 | 2,739,976 | +776,808 |
| Germany | 893,762 | 1,738,483 | +844,721 |
| France | 974,196 | 727,391 | -246,805 |
| Ireland | 308,091 | 377,649 | +69,558 |
| Austria | 88,648 | 158,585 | +69,937 |
| Italy | 145,053 | 73,481 | -71,572 |
| China | 24,640 | 60,498 | +35,858 |
| Hungary | 0 | 30,408 | +30,408 |
| Poland | 12,131 | 14,912 | +2,781 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | 16,942,056 |
| Belgium | 5,109,596 |
| Germany | 2,217,535 |
| France | 1,274,211 |
| Austria | 247,233 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 8,798,323 | 8,143,733 | -654,590 |
| Belgium | 2,233,782 | 2,875,814 | +642,032 |
| Germany | 732,265 | 1,485,270 | +753,005 |
| France | 658,814 | 615,397 | -43,417 |
| Austria | 88,648 | 158,585 | +69,937 |
| Italy | 127,194 | 45,447 | -81,747 |
| Ireland | 103,454 | 0 | -103,454 |
| China | 24,640 | 67,392 | +42,752 |
| United Kingdom | 48,773 | 7,696 | -41,077 |
| Hungary | 0 | 30,408 | +30,408 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 3 |
| Inner London - East | 2 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 2 |
| East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire | 1 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 2 | 3 | +1 |
| Inner London - East | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| Northern Ireland | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset | 0 | 1 | +1 |
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) | 18,479,520 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 7,758,218 |
| Other | 3,668,775 |
| Air transport | 83,795 |
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) | 11,067,461 | 7,412,059 | -3,655,402 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,715,416 | 6,042,802 | +4,327,386 |
| Other | 1,775,263 | 1,893,512 | +118,249 |
| Air transport | 61,642 | 22,153 | -39,489 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 22,871,545 |
| 000 | 3,668,775 |
| London | 1,299,972 |
| Eurotunnel | 1,175,496 |
| Dover | 313,094 |
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 | 11,250,493 | 11,621,052 | +370,559 |
| 000 | 1,775,263 | 1,893,512 | +118,249 |
| London | 719,988 | 579,984 | -140,004 |
| Eurotunnel | 411,039 | 764,457 | +353,418 |
| Dover | 77,646 | 235,448 | +157,802 |
| Middlesbrough | 118,149 | 97,967 | -20,182 |
| Harwich | 82,643 | 26,183 | -56,460 |
| East Midlands Airport | 60,739 | 6,401 | -54,338 |
| London Gateway Port | 34,246 | 26,395 | -7,851 |
| Felixstowe | 14,421 | 32,680 | +18,259 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
| Activities of head offices; management consultancy activities | 2 |
| Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products | 2 |
| Other manufacturing | 2 |
| Extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas | 1 |
| Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations | 1 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2025-11 | 5 |
| 2025-10 | 3 |
| 2025-09 | 3 |
| 2025-08 | 3 |
| 2025-07 | 4 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 54m+ | 6 |
| Other | 3 |
| 1m-15m | 2 |
| 15m-54m | 1 |
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 | 8,055,919 |
| Spain | 161,954 |
| Angola | 43,916 |
| Italy | 26,577 |
| Netherlands | 24,577 |
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 | 4,441,115 | 3,614,804 | -826,311 |
| Spain | 132,064 | 29,890 | -102,174 |
| Angola | 16,704 | 27,212 | +10,508 |
| Italy | 9,984 | 16,593 | +6,609 |
| Netherlands | 18,834 | 5,743 | -13,091 |
| Poland | 10,808 | 12,025 | +1,217 |
| France | 11,389 | 8,739 | -2,650 |
| Libya | 0 | 16,193 | +16,193 |
| Guyana | 4,854 | 10,809 | +5,955 |
| Congo | 4,511 | 5,831 | +1,320 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| XU | 107,471 |
| Ireland | 3,970 |
| Spain | 2,992 |
| Germany | 2,517 |
| South Korea | 262 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| XU | 65,171 | 42,300 | -22,871 |
| Ireland | 3,970 | 0 | -3,970 |
| Spain | 1,976 | 1,016 | -960 |
| Germany | 2,517 | 0 | -2,517 |
| South Korea | 0 | 262 | +262 |
| Italy | 96 | 122 | +26 |
| China | 0 | 131 | +131 |
| Japan | 0 | 124 | +124 |
| Turkey | 0 | 117 | +117 |
| Indonesia | 0 | 103 | +103 |
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) | 8,207,835 |
| Other | 118,074 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 110,026 |
| Air transport | 1,119 |
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) | 4,544,432 | 3,663,403 | -881,029 |
| Other | 73,730 | 44,344 | -29,386 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 40,332 | 69,694 | +29,362 |
| Air transport | 0 | 1,119 | +1,119 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Liverpool Docks | 7,914,213 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 136,402 |
| 000 | 118,074 |
| Portsmouth | 54,504 |
| London Gateway Port | 46,338 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool Docks | 4,360,007 | 3,554,206 | -805,801 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 85,083 | 51,319 | -33,764 |
| 000 | 73,730 | 44,344 | -29,386 |
| Portsmouth | 54,504 | 0 | -54,504 |
| London Gateway Port | 0 | 46,338 | +46,338 |
| Dover | 35,660 | 10,410 | -25,250 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 28,373 | 4,718 | -23,655 |
| Heysham | 7,378 | 7,494 | +116 |
| Immingham Docks | 0 | 14,766 | +14,766 |
| London | 5,914 | 7,107 | +1,193 |
Quick facts
HS code: 280421
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: A rare gas used in welding, lighting, and as a protective atmosphere in industrial processes