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 | 19,423,181 |
| Belgium | 4,720,437 |
| Germany | 2,742,954 |
| France | 1,672,044 |
| Ireland | 656,001 |
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 | 10,039,213 | 9,383,968 | -655,245 |
| Belgium | 1,942,392 | 2,778,045 | +835,653 |
| Germany | 981,621 | 1,761,333 | +779,712 |
| France | 968,682 | 703,362 | -265,320 |
| Ireland | 258,247 | 397,754 | +139,507 |
| Austria | 88,648 | 193,895 | +105,247 |
| Italy | 132,709 | 67,791 | -64,918 |
| China | 57,320 | 27,818 | -29,502 |
| Hungary | 10,473 | 19,935 | +9,462 |
| 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 | 16,821,216 |
| Belgium | 5,091,892 |
| Germany | 2,314,678 |
| France | 1,273,259 |
| Austria | 282,543 |
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 | 8,455,929 | 8,365,287 | -90,642 |
| Belgium | 2,200,376 | 2,891,516 | +691,140 |
| Germany | 716,304 | 1,598,374 | +882,070 |
| France | 677,536 | 595,723 | -81,813 |
| Austria | 88,648 | 193,895 | +105,247 |
| Italy | 114,850 | 79,516 | -35,334 |
| China | 57,320 | 34,712 | -22,608 |
| Ireland | 57,725 | 0 | -57,725 |
| United Kingdom | 46,419 | 7,697 | -38,722 |
| Hungary | 10,473 | 19,935 | +9,462 |
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 | 2 | +0 |
| 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) | 18,136,379 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 8,084,881 |
| Other | 3,595,910 |
| Air transport | 66,932 |
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) | 10,710,923 | 7,425,456 | -3,285,467 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,698,504 | 6,386,377 | +4,687,873 |
| Other | 2,072,519 | 1,523,391 | -549,128 |
| Air transport | 44,779 | 22,153 | -22,626 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 22,826,119 |
| 000 | 3,595,910 |
| London | 1,307,891 |
| Eurotunnel | 1,206,103 |
| Dover | 346,050 |
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 | 10,891,508 | 11,934,611 | +1,043,103 |
| 000 | 2,072,519 | 1,523,391 | -549,128 |
| London | 749,254 | 558,637 | -190,617 |
| Eurotunnel | 390,193 | 815,910 | +425,717 |
| Dover | 85,765 | 260,285 | +174,520 |
| Middlesbrough | 99,571 | 124,747 | +25,176 |
| London Gateway Port | 39,936 | 20,705 | -19,231 |
| Harwich | 33,342 | 26,183 | -7,159 |
| East Midlands Airport | 43,876 | 6,401 | -37,475 |
| Felixstowe | 47,101 | 0 | -47,101 |
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 |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 3 |
| 2025-11 | 5 |
| 2025-10 | 3 |
| 2025-09 | 3 |
| 2025-08 | 3 |
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 | 8,013,567 |
| Spain | 150,134 |
| 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 | 4,356,173 | 3,657,394 | -698,779 |
| Spain | 120,244 | 29,890 | -90,354 |
| 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 |
| Libya | 0 | 16,193 | +16,193 |
| France | 7,140 | 8,739 | +1,599 |
| Guyana | 9,572 | 6,091 | -3,481 |
| Malaysia | 2,304 | 8,416 | +6,112 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Spain | 2,992 |
| Germany | 2,226 |
| Ireland | 1,344 |
| South Korea | 262 |
| Italy | 218 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 1,976 | 1,016 | -960 |
| Germany | 2,226 | 0 | -2,226 |
| Ireland | 1,344 | 0 | -1,344 |
| 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 |
| Czechia | 0 | 95 | +95 |
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) | 8,173,689 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 114,193 |
| Other | 106,027 |
| 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) | 4,455,999 | 3,717,690 | -738,309 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 40,801 | 73,392 | +32,591 |
| Other | 64,476 | 41,551 | -22,925 |
| 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 | 7,876,870 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 144,381 |
| 000 | 106,027 |
| 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 | 4,284,319 | 3,592,551 | -691,768 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 83,528 | 60,853 | -22,675 |
| 000 | 64,476 | 41,551 | -22,925 |
| Portsmouth | 54,504 | 0 | -54,504 |
| London Gateway Port | 0 | 46,338 | +46,338 |
| Dover | 23,840 | 10,410 | -13,430 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 33,091 | 0 | -33,091 |
| Heysham | 7,378 | 14,532 | +7,154 |
| Immingham Docks | 630 | 14,136 | +13,506 |
| Felixstowe | 0 | 14,026 | +14,026 |
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