Import/export HS code 391231: Carboxymethylcellulose and its salts
A type of cellulose derivative used as a thickener or stabiliser in food and industrial products
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| France | 7,145,923 |
| Finland | 4,471,347 |
| Netherlands | 3,341,001 |
| Germany | 2,088,545 |
| Belgium | 2,032,145 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 4,104,491 | 3,041,432 | -1,063,059 |
| Finland | 3,029,352 | 1,441,995 | -1,587,357 |
| Netherlands | 1,778,123 | 1,562,878 | -215,245 |
| Germany | 759,726 | 1,328,819 | +569,093 |
| Belgium | 636,830 | 1,395,315 | +758,485 |
| Switzerland | 187,392 | 1,385,616 | +1,198,224 |
| China | 661,928 | 479,712 | -182,216 |
| Italy | 488,713 | 337,241 | -151,472 |
| Ireland | 545,830 | 256,054 | -289,776 |
| Turkey | 251,640 | 138,496 | -113,144 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| France | 7,563,277 |
| Finland | 6,961,257 |
| Germany | 2,585,037 |
| China | 1,620,755 |
| Italy | 964,275 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 3,604,773 | 3,958,504 | +353,731 |
| Finland | 3,851,824 | 3,109,433 | -742,391 |
| Germany | 1,067,210 | 1,517,827 | +450,617 |
| China | 1,047,396 | 573,359 | -474,037 |
| Italy | 491,607 | 472,668 | -18,939 |
| Netherlands | 604,414 | 303,856 | -300,558 |
| Brazil | 440,031 | 433,347 | -6,684 |
| Turkey | 572,954 | 298,019 | -274,935 |
| Taiwan | 223,145 | 105,081 | -118,064 |
| Austria | 125,720 | 122,287 | -3,433 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 8 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 8 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 6 |
| Inner London - East | 5 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 4 |
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 | 6 | 8 | +2 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 5 | 6 | +1 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 6 | 5 | -1 |
| Inner London - East | 4 | 3 | -1 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 3 | 3 | +0 |
| Cheshire | 4 | 3 | -1 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 1 | 4 | +3 |
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | 2 | 3 | +1 |
| Merseyside | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset | 3 | 3 | +0 |
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) | 18,046,798 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 4,793,338 |
| Other | 915,835 |
| Air transport | 761,346 |
| Road transport | 1,140 |
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) | 9,379,505 | 8,667,293 | -712,212 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 2,706,349 | 2,086,989 | -619,360 |
| Other | 384,019 | 531,816 | +147,797 |
| Air transport | 375,716 | 385,630 | +9,914 |
| Road transport | 0 | 1,140 | +1,140 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover | 5,714,830 |
| Portsmouth | 2,917,721 |
| Felixstowe | 2,899,464 |
| Immingham Docks | 2,570,383 |
| Newhaven | 2,018,615 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | 2,703,027 | 3,011,803 | +308,776 |
| Portsmouth | 1,334,678 | 1,583,043 | +248,365 |
| Felixstowe | 1,819,058 | 1,080,406 | -738,652 |
| Immingham Docks | 1,136,914 | 1,433,469 | +296,555 |
| Newhaven | 1,032,346 | 986,269 | -46,077 |
| London | 870,649 | 340,887 | -529,762 |
| Purfleet | 429,074 | 688,582 | +259,508 |
| 000 | 384,019 | 531,816 | +147,797 |
| Hull | 759,711 | 0 | -759,711 |
| Harwich | 326,629 | 335,470 | +8,841 |
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 | 15 |
| Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products | 11 |
| Manufacture of food products | 10 |
| Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations | 9 |
| Office administrative, office support and other business support activities | 7 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2025-11 | 20 |
| 2025-10 | 24 |
| 2025-09 | 17 |
| 2025-08 | 19 |
| 2025-07 | 22 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| ASHLAND SPECIALTIES UK LIMITED | 47 |
| ESSITY UK LIMITED | 45 |
| BRITVIC SOFT DRINKS LIMITED | 44 |
| DANISCO (UK) LIMITED | 44 |
| NORKEM LIMITED | 44 |
| AZELIS UK LIMITED | 42 |
| PME CAKE LIMITED | 41 |
| SIGMA-ALDRICH COMPANY LIMITED | 41 |
| SCHLUMBERGER OILFIELD UK LIMITED | 40 |
| COLORCON LIMITED | 39 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 54m+ | 43 |
| 1m-15m | 24 |
| 15m-54m | 13 |
| 0-1m | 5 |
| Other | 4 |
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 | 344,966 |
| Ireland | 175,340 |
| Italy | 160,972 |
| Germany | 154,683 |
| Netherlands | 131,635 |
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 | 93,725 | 251,241 | +157,516 |
| Ireland | 91,545 | 83,795 | -7,750 |
| Italy | 146,980 | 13,992 | -132,988 |
| Germany | 123,247 | 31,436 | -91,811 |
| Netherlands | 66,996 | 64,639 | -2,357 |
| Nigeria | 103,544 | 0 | -103,544 |
| Turkey | 59,646 | 26,958 | -32,688 |
| Bulgaria | 45,964 | 34,636 | -11,328 |
| Spain | 37,189 | 21,892 | -15,297 |
| China | 15,934 | 40,099 | +24,165 |
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 | 70 |
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 | 70 | 0 | -70 |
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) | 776,091 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 687,502 |
| Air transport | 143,156 |
| Other | 70 |
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) | 446,462 | 329,629 | -116,833 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 428,542 | 258,960 | -169,582 |
| Air transport | 50,011 | 93,145 | +43,134 |
| Other | 70 | 0 | -70 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 512,444 |
| Liverpool Docks | 278,323 |
| London Gateway Port | 146,616 |
| Immingham Docks | 128,021 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 88,428 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 305,071 | 207,373 | -97,698 |
| Liverpool Docks | 62,304 | 216,019 | +153,715 |
| London Gateway Port | 136,984 | 9,632 | -127,352 |
| Immingham Docks | 97,160 | 30,861 | -66,299 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 26,776 | 61,652 | +34,876 |
| Holyhead | 39,363 | 45,570 | +6,207 |
| Heysham | 33,630 | 34,865 | +1,235 |
| Aberdeen Docks | 50,932 | 0 | -50,932 |
| Portsmouth | 39,407 | 0 | -39,407 |
| Harwich | 38,335 | 0 | -38,335 |
Quick facts
HS code: 391231
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: A type of cellulose derivative used as a thickener or stabiliser in food and industrial products