Import/export HS code 291511: Formic acid
A chemical used in textiles, leather processing, and as a preservative
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 | 4,967,265 |
| China | 1,628,457 |
| Belgium | 1,349,533 |
| Finland | 1,103,760 |
| Netherlands | 1,030,696 |
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 | 2,608,508 | 2,358,757 | -249,751 |
| China | 858,910 | 769,547 | -89,363 |
| Belgium | 984,315 | 365,218 | -619,097 |
| Finland | 535,640 | 568,120 | +32,480 |
| Netherlands | 653,846 | 376,850 | -276,996 |
| France | 116,130 | 41,335 | -74,795 |
| United States | 19,056 | 78,650 | +59,594 |
| Sweden | 42,558 | 25,781 | -16,777 |
| Ireland | 1,981 | 31,305 | +29,324 |
| Denmark | 15,082 | 0 | -15,082 |
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 | 4,732,169 |
| Finland | 2,016,025 |
| China | 1,634,647 |
| Belgium | 1,114,367 |
| Netherlands | 589,849 |
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 | 2,511,700 | 2,220,469 | -291,231 |
| Finland | 1,132,823 | 883,202 | -249,621 |
| China | 850,080 | 784,567 | -65,513 |
| Belgium | 757,893 | 356,474 | -401,419 |
| Netherlands | 390,975 | 198,874 | -192,101 |
| United States | 38,031 | 58,728 | +20,697 |
| Sweden | 42,558 | 25,781 | -16,777 |
| United Kingdom | 33,471 | 27,425 | -6,046 |
| Austria | 33,070 | 0 | -33,070 |
| Czechia | 5,304 | 15,288 | +9,984 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 4 |
| Greater Manchester | 4 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 3 |
| West Yorkshire | 3 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 3 | 4 | +1 |
| Greater Manchester | 4 | 4 | +0 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 2 | 3 | +1 |
| West Yorkshire | 3 | 3 | +0 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Northern Ireland | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| Cheshire | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| Inner London - West | 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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 7,441,276 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 2,883,572 |
| Air transport | 89,037 |
| Other | 54,220 |
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) | 3,962,720 | 3,478,556 | -484,164 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,829,819 | 1,053,753 | -776,066 |
| Air transport | 31,456 | 57,581 | +26,125 |
| Other | 16,320 | 37,900 | +21,580 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Hull | 2,729,137 |
| Immingham Docks | 2,147,202 |
| Felixstowe | 1,595,619 |
| Middlesbrough | 973,685 |
| London | 808,810 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 1,586,564 | 1,142,573 | -443,991 |
| Immingham Docks | 1,147,144 | 1,000,058 | -147,086 |
| Felixstowe | 800,440 | 795,179 | -5,261 |
| Middlesbrough | 653,886 | 319,799 | -334,087 |
| London | 309,085 | 499,725 | +190,640 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 378,811 | 206,168 | -172,643 |
| Purfleet | 312,969 | 10,800 | -302,169 |
| Dover | 207,577 | 97,033 | -110,544 |
| Thamesport | 197,462 | 0 | -197,462 |
| London Gateway Port | 19,970 | 148,746 | +128,776 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
| Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products | 13 |
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 11 |
| Other manufacturing | 4 |
| Activities of head offices; management consultancy activities | 2 |
| Manufacture of food products | 2 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 6 |
| 2025-11 | 12 |
| 2025-10 | 10 |
| 2025-09 | 9 |
| 2025-08 | 10 |
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+ | 18 |
| 15m-54m | 5 |
| 1m-15m | 4 |
| Other | 2 |
| 0-1m | 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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Taiwan | 1,406,495 |
| Ireland | 404,529 |
| Netherlands | 354,345 |
| United States | 180,758 |
| China | 147,475 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | 1,095,485 | 311,010 | -784,475 |
| Ireland | 259,678 | 144,851 | -114,827 |
| Netherlands | 161,403 | 192,942 | +31,539 |
| United States | 180,758 | 0 | -180,758 |
| China | 24,861 | 122,614 | +97,753 |
| Georgia | 0 | 55,109 | +55,109 |
| Belgium | 10,738 | 42,108 | +31,370 |
| Azerbaijan | 26,197 | 21,317 | -4,880 |
| Saudi Arabia | 45,902 | 0 | -45,902 |
| India | 27,262 | 17,608 | -9,654 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Germany | 174,667 |
| China | 54,902 |
| XI | 4,979 |
| Ireland | 1,227 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 122,562 | 52,105 | -70,457 |
| China | 20,867 | 34,035 | +13,168 |
| XI | 4,751 | 228 | -4,523 |
| Ireland | 1,144 | 83 | -1,061 |
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) | 1,904,057 |
| Air transport | 377,878 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 354,229 |
| Other | 239,269 |
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) | 1,320,109 | 583,948 | -736,161 |
| Air transport | 250,235 | 127,643 | -122,592 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 171,407 | 182,822 | +11,415 |
| Other | 151,536 | 87,733 | -63,803 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Southampton | 1,002,527 |
| Felixstowe | 356,015 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 334,065 |
| Immingham Docks | 317,081 |
| London Gateway Port | 277,556 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southampton | 891,973 | 110,554 | -781,419 |
| Felixstowe | 70,503 | 285,512 | +215,009 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 210,519 | 123,546 | -86,973 |
| Immingham Docks | 133,069 | 184,012 | +50,943 |
| London Gateway Port | 259,070 | 18,486 | -240,584 |
| 000 | 151,536 | 87,733 | -63,803 |
| Liverpool Docks | 81,281 | 35,901 | -45,380 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 27,156 | 54,300 | +27,144 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 0 | 55,109 | +55,109 |
| Holyhead | 26,861 | 19,119 | -7,742 |
Quick facts
HS code: 291511
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: A chemical used in textiles, leather processing, and as a preservative