Import/export HS code 3605: Matches
Regular matches used for lighting fires, not including pyrotechnic items like fireworks
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Sweden | 4,136,003 |
| China | 1,545,112 |
| India | 1,177,256 |
| Belgium | 370,705 |
| Hungary | 131,021 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 2,303,847 | 1,832,156 | -471,691 |
| China | 814,236 | 730,876 | -83,360 |
| India | 556,265 | 620,991 | +64,726 |
| Belgium | 224,825 | 145,880 | -78,945 |
| Hungary | 62,774 | 68,247 | +5,473 |
| Poland | 62,639 | 55,499 | -7,140 |
| Turkey | 55,144 | 43,376 | -11,768 |
| Germany | 48,640 | 33,752 | -14,888 |
| France | 20,348 | 50,728 | +30,380 |
| United States | 30,018 | 34,362 | +4,344 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Sweden | 4,135,960 |
| China | 1,668,445 |
| India | 1,134,574 |
| Poland | 315,509 |
| United Kingdom | 199,330 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 2,303,804 | 1,832,156 | -471,648 |
| China | 824,968 | 843,477 | +18,509 |
| India | 556,265 | 578,309 | +22,044 |
| Poland | 164,148 | 151,361 | -12,787 |
| United Kingdom | 130,535 | 68,795 | -61,740 |
| Hungary | 75,128 | 74,882 | -246 |
| Turkey | 60,377 | 81,614 | +21,237 |
| Germany | 44,029 | 13,623 | -30,406 |
| United States | 26,047 | 5,623 | -20,424 |
| Italy | 14,093 | 4,958 | -9,135 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 9 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 3 |
| Inner London - East | 3 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 3 |
| Merseyside | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 5 | 8 | +3 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 3 | 2 | -1 |
| Inner London - East | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 2 | 3 | +1 |
| Merseyside | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | 0 | 1 | +1 |
| Cheshire | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| Gloucestershire and Wiltshire | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| Greater Manchester | 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) | 6,365,600 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,212,532 |
| Air transport | 268,661 |
| Other | 48,008 |
| Road transport | 15,055 |
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) | 3,528,186 | 2,837,414 | -690,772 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 517,139 | 695,393 | +178,254 |
| Air transport | 151,816 | 116,845 | -34,971 |
| Other | 29,916 | 18,092 | -11,824 |
| Road transport | 15,055 | 0 | -15,055 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 4,142,129 |
| Felixstowe | 1,426,599 |
| London Gateway Port | 910,317 |
| Dover | 298,389 |
| Southampton | 258,853 |
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 | 2,310,022 | 1,832,107 | -477,915 |
| Felixstowe | 810,662 | 615,937 | -194,725 |
| London Gateway Port | 423,108 | 487,209 | +64,101 |
| Dover | 159,414 | 138,975 | -20,439 |
| Southampton | 66,865 | 191,988 | +125,123 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 142,110 | 73,341 | -68,769 |
| Eurotunnel | 38,668 | 80,673 | +42,005 |
| Thamesport | 28,875 | 57,137 | +28,262 |
| Belfast Port | 55,249 | 19,656 | -35,593 |
| East Midlands Airport | 59,332 | 14,781 | -44,551 |
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 | 13 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 10 |
| Other manufacturing | 3 |
| Accommodation | 2 |
| Food and beverage service activities | 2 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 5 |
| 2025-11 | 2 |
| 2025-10 | 11 |
| 2025-09 | 6 |
| 2025-08 | 3 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| ESTEE LAUDER COSMETICS LIMITED | 32 |
| VESTEY FOODS UK LIMITED | 30 |
| SAINT GERMAIN LIMITED | 22 |
| B & M RETAIL LIMITED | 21 |
| DHIMAN ENTERPRISES LIMITED | 19 |
| SURVITEC GROUP LIMITED | 18 |
| ARCHIVIST LIMITED | 15 |
| B.C.B. INTERNATIONAL LIMITED | 15 |
| KOMBAT UK LIMITED | 12 |
| TALKING TABLES LIMITED | 8 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 12 |
| 54m+ | 10 |
| 15m-54m | 4 |
| 0-1m | 3 |
| Other | 3 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| United States | 1,342,428 |
| France | 578,217 |
| Germany | 387,963 |
| Australia | 267,507 |
| Canada | 209,337 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 598,567 | 743,861 | +145,294 |
| France | 221,345 | 356,872 | +135,527 |
| Germany | 147,315 | 240,648 | +93,333 |
| Australia | 246,282 | 21,225 | -225,057 |
| Canada | 176,678 | 32,659 | -144,019 |
| Spain | 67,464 | 135,987 | +68,523 |
| Netherlands | 78,970 | 103,126 | +24,156 |
| Switzerland | 83,155 | 91,369 | +8,214 |
| Ireland | 74,391 | 84,288 | +9,897 |
| Sweden | 45,795 | 111,522 | +65,727 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Sweden | 29,098 |
| XI | 9,690 |
| China | 6,911 |
| Ireland | 3,747 |
| Belgium | 1,401 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 17,698 | 11,400 | -6,298 |
| XI | 4,637 | 5,053 | +416 |
| China | 6,479 | 432 | -6,047 |
| Ireland | 2,862 | 885 | -1,977 |
| Belgium | 871 | 530 | -341 |
| Germany | 852 | 6 | -846 |
Export volume by transport
What this shows: Export value by transport mode used to ship goods from the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Air transport | 2,681,401 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,365,419 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 289,831 |
| Other | 55,040 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air transport | 1,428,458 | 1,252,943 | -175,515 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 297,616 | 1,067,803 | +770,187 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 263,643 | 26,188 | -237,455 |
| Other | 35,114 | 19,926 | -15,188 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| East Midlands Airport | 1,963,720 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 1,281,497 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 302,935 |
| Felixstowe | 230,678 |
| London Stansted Airport | 167,543 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands Airport | 897,818 | 1,065,902 | +168,084 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 243,411 | 1,038,086 | +794,675 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 196,528 | 106,407 | -90,121 |
| Felixstowe | 227,280 | 3,398 | -223,882 |
| London Stansted Airport | 166,485 | 1,058 | -165,427 |
| Manchester Airport | 106,098 | 31,492 | -74,606 |
| ZLC | 61,529 | 48,084 | -13,445 |
| 000 | 35,114 | 19,926 | -15,188 |
| Holyhead | 20,605 | 15,119 | -5,486 |
| London Gateway Port | 24,474 | 8,398 | -16,076 |
Quick facts
HS code: 3605
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Regular matches used for lighting fires, not including pyrotechnic items like fireworks