Import/export HS code 390770: Poly(lactic acid)
A biodegradable plastic used in making packaging and disposable items
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 | 8,249,879 |
| Belgium | 546,966 |
| Switzerland | 477,394 |
| South Korea | 105,243 |
| Germany | 96,795 |
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 | 4,508,317 | 3,741,562 | -766,755 |
| Belgium | 284,418 | 262,548 | -21,870 |
| Switzerland | 285,199 | 192,195 | -93,004 |
| South Korea | 38,011 | 67,232 | +29,221 |
| Germany | 62,038 | 34,757 | -27,281 |
| Ireland | 72,148 | 8,654 | -63,494 |
| China | 26,510 | 10,623 | -15,887 |
| United States | 14,985 | 20,531 | +5,546 |
| Denmark | 16,412 | 4,825 | -11,587 |
| Canada | 0 | 16,549 | +16,549 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| United States | 7,237,850 |
| Netherlands | 853,110 |
| Switzerland | 477,394 |
| Belgium | 322,933 |
| Thailand | 268,312 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 3,789,797 | 3,448,053 | -341,744 |
| Netherlands | 626,712 | 226,398 | -400,314 |
| Switzerland | 285,199 | 192,195 | -93,004 |
| Belgium | 197,679 | 125,254 | -72,425 |
| Thailand | 70,557 | 197,755 | +127,198 |
| Germany | 134,254 | 46,512 | -87,742 |
| South Korea | 38,011 | 67,232 | +29,221 |
| China | 47,005 | 36,575 | -10,430 |
| Ireland | 72,148 | 0 | -72,148 |
| Denmark | 16,412 | 4,825 | -11,587 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Essex | 3 |
| East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire | 2 |
| Greater Manchester | 2 |
| North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset | 2 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essex | 0 | 3 | +3 |
| East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Greater Manchester | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| West Yorkshire | 2 | 0 | -2 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| Inner London - West | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 0 | 1 | +1 |
| Mid and South West Wales | 1 | 1 | +0 |
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) | 5,522,616 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 3,049,429 |
| Air transport | 1,007,125 |
| Road transport | 69,312 |
| Other | 48,344 |
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) | 3,102,823 | 2,419,793 | -683,030 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,453,838 | 1,595,591 | +141,753 |
| Air transport | 673,845 | 333,280 | -340,565 |
| Road transport | 69,312 | 0 | -69,312 |
| Other | 30,264 | 18,080 | -12,184 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Blyth Harbour | 3,801,715 |
| Hull | 1,478,161 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 1,197,897 |
| East Midlands Airport | 763,468 |
| Middlesbrough | 686,172 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blyth Harbour | 2,802,653 | 999,062 | -1,803,591 |
| Hull | 885,400 | 592,761 | -292,639 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 169,144 | 1,028,753 | +859,609 |
| East Midlands Airport | 526,900 | 236,568 | -290,332 |
| Middlesbrough | 0 | 686,172 | +686,172 |
| Immingham Docks | 188,655 | 240,740 | +52,085 |
| Thamesport | 13,076 | 192,195 | +179,119 |
| Purfleet | 76,300 | 124,526 | +48,226 |
| Felixstowe | 132,351 | 56,939 | -75,412 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 163,509 | 0 | -163,509 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
| Manufacture of rubber and plastic products | 5 |
| Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products | 4 |
| Other manufacturing | 3 |
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 3 |
| Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis | 2 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2025-11 | 3 |
| 2025-10 | 5 |
| 2025-09 | 4 |
| 2025-08 | 3 |
| 2025-07 | 7 |
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+ | 14 |
| 1m-15m | 8 |
| 0-1m | 1 |
| Other | 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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Belgium | 392,088 |
| Pakistan | 73,415 |
| Netherlands | 26,852 |
| United States | 23,798 |
| Turkey | 21,380 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 153,433 | 238,655 | +85,222 |
| Pakistan | 73,415 | 0 | -73,415 |
| Netherlands | 10,115 | 16,737 | +6,622 |
| United States | 18,746 | 5,052 | -13,694 |
| Turkey | 2,815 | 18,565 | +15,750 |
| Poland | 2,984 | 15,810 | +12,826 |
| Germany | 14,284 | 3,898 | -10,386 |
| Indonesia | 0 | 13,763 | +13,763 |
| South Korea | 10,965 | 0 | -10,965 |
| Italy | 5,756 | 4,734 | -1,022 |
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) | 326,417 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 244,306 |
| Air transport | 74,177 |
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) | 117,578 | 208,839 | +91,261 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 138,676 | 105,630 | -33,046 |
| Air transport | 58,518 | 15,659 | -42,859 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 290,122 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 148,877 |
| Felixstowe | 75,537 |
| East Midlands Airport | 36,443 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 26,559 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 134,605 | 155,517 | +20,912 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 26,719 | 122,158 | +95,439 |
| Felixstowe | 73,415 | 2,122 | -71,293 |
| East Midlands Airport | 32,545 | 3,898 | -28,647 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 21,965 | 4,594 | -17,371 |
| Middlesbrough | 12,793 | 8,628 | -4,165 |
| London Gateway Port | 0 | 11,927 | +11,927 |
| Harwich | 0 | 8,459 | +8,459 |
| ZLC | 1,262 | 4,961 | +3,699 |
| London | 6,035 | 0 | -6,035 |
Quick facts
HS code: 390770
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: A biodegradable plastic used in making packaging and disposable items