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 | 5,039,380 |
| China | 1,617,925 |
| Belgium | 1,376,697 |
| Netherlands | 1,108,603 |
| Finland | 1,075,820 |
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 | 2,614,421 | 2,424,959 | -189,462 |
| China | 789,594 | 828,331 | +38,737 |
| Belgium | 995,423 | 381,274 | -614,149 |
| Netherlands | 736,380 | 372,223 | -364,157 |
| Finland | 552,127 | 523,693 | -28,434 |
| France | 125,190 | 41,171 | -84,019 |
| United States | 17,383 | 82,970 | +65,587 |
| Sweden | 42,558 | 21,498 | -21,060 |
| Denmark | 0 | 15,082 | +15,082 |
| Ireland | 1,981 | 10,485 | +8,504 |
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 | 4,794,654 |
| Finland | 2,013,132 |
| China | 1,624,115 |
| Belgium | 1,123,332 |
| Netherlands | 648,658 |
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 | 2,550,683 | 2,243,971 | -306,712 |
| Finland | 1,154,409 | 858,723 | -295,686 |
| China | 780,764 | 843,351 | +62,587 |
| Belgium | 766,858 | 356,474 | -410,384 |
| Netherlands | 454,411 | 194,247 | -260,164 |
| United States | 36,358 | 63,048 | +26,690 |
| United Kingdom | 41,532 | 27,425 | -14,107 |
| Sweden | 42,558 | 21,498 | -21,060 |
| Austria | 0 | 33,070 | +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 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 2 |
| Northern Ireland | 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 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Northern Ireland | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| West Yorkshire | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| 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) | 7,430,744 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 3,019,258 |
| 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) | 3,907,369 | 3,523,375 | -383,994 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,924,201 | 1,095,057 | -829,144 |
| 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 | 2,787,077 |
| Immingham Docks | 2,166,117 |
| Felixstowe | 1,601,612 |
| Middlesbrough | 1,039,257 |
| London | 764,032 |
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 | 1,540,831 | 1,246,246 | -294,585 |
| Immingham Docks | 1,207,811 | 958,306 | -249,505 |
| Felixstowe | 751,882 | 849,730 | +97,848 |
| Middlesbrough | 719,458 | 319,799 | -399,659 |
| London | 309,716 | 454,316 | +144,600 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 310,931 | 261,214 | -49,717 |
| Purfleet | 312,969 | 10,800 | -302,169 |
| Dover | 220,552 | 100,874 | -119,678 |
| Thamesport | 252,682 | 0 | -252,682 |
| 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 |
|---|---|
| 2025-11 | 12 |
| 2025-10 | 10 |
| 2025-09 | 9 |
| 2025-08 | 10 |
| 2025-07 | 12 |
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 | 411,428 |
| Netherlands | 375,465 |
| 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 | 707,016 | 699,479 | -7,537 |
| Ireland | 261,598 | 149,830 | -111,768 |
| Netherlands | 184,243 | 191,222 | +6,979 |
| United States | 180,758 | 0 | -180,758 |
| China | 24,861 | 122,614 | +97,753 |
| Georgia | 0 | 55,109 | +55,109 |
| Belgium | 10,699 | 38,292 | +27,593 |
| 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 | 177,966 |
| China | 54,902 |
| XI | 4,979 |
| XU | 3,565 |
| 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 | 124,872 | 53,094 | -71,778 |
| China | 18,083 | 36,819 | +18,736 |
| XI | 4,751 | 228 | -4,523 |
| XU | 2,023 | 1,542 | -481 |
| 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) | 1,939,546 |
| Air transport | 376,946 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 351,435 |
| Other | 242,639 |
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) | 963,420 | 976,126 | +12,706 |
| Air transport | 250,235 | 126,711 | -123,524 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 170,502 | 180,933 | +10,431 |
| Other | 150,873 | 91,766 | -59,107 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Southampton | 1,002,527 |
| Felixstowe | 362,447 |
| Immingham Docks | 338,342 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 333,133 |
| 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 | 503,504 | 499,023 | -4,481 |
| Felixstowe | 74,500 | 287,947 | +213,447 |
| Immingham Docks | 157,031 | 181,311 | +24,280 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 210,519 | 122,614 | -87,905 |
| London Gateway Port | 257,930 | 19,626 | -238,304 |
| 000 | 150,873 | 91,766 | -59,107 |
| Liverpool Docks | 83,864 | 36,847 | -47,017 |
| 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