Import/export HS code 39159020: Plastic waste from PET
Recyclable plastic scraps made from polyethylene terephthalate, often used for bottles
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| China | 4,258,791 |
| Ireland | 1,282,239 |
| Netherlands | 1,219,473 |
| United Arab Emirates | 1,054,030 |
| United Republic of Tanzania | 406,449 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 209,329 | 4,049,462 | +3,840,133 |
| Ireland | 1,006,223 | 276,016 | -730,207 |
| Netherlands | 1,191,419 | 28,054 | -1,163,365 |
| United Arab Emirates | 177,918 | 876,112 | +698,194 |
| United Republic of Tanzania | 0 | 406,449 | +406,449 |
| Oman | 208,721 | 0 | -208,721 |
| Bahrain | 76,190 | 0 | -76,190 |
| Israel | 0 | 65,258 | +65,258 |
| Tunisia | 58,899 | 0 | -58,899 |
| Italy | 46,767 | 0 | -46,767 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| China | 4,291,019 |
| Ireland | 1,279,292 |
| Netherlands | 1,244,032 |
| United Arab Emirates | 1,130,220 |
| United Republic of Tanzania | 406,449 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 209,329 | 4,081,690 | +3,872,361 |
| Ireland | 1,004,317 | 274,975 | -729,342 |
| Netherlands | 1,191,419 | 52,613 | -1,138,806 |
| United Arab Emirates | 254,108 | 876,112 | +622,004 |
| United Republic of Tanzania | 0 | 406,449 | +406,449 |
| Oman | 140,004 | 0 | -140,004 |
| Colombia | 68,717 | 0 | -68,717 |
| Israel | 0 | 65,258 | +65,258 |
| Tunisia | 58,899 | 0 | -58,899 |
| Bangladesh | 46,767 | 0 | -46,767 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 5 |
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | 3 |
| Greater Manchester | 2 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 1 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 3 | 2 | -1 |
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| Greater Manchester | 2 | 0 | -2 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| Cheshire | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 0 | 1 | +1 |
| Inner London - West | 0 | 1 | +1 |
| Kent | 0 | 1 | +1 |
| Lincolnshire | 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) | 7,303,904 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,509,956 |
| Air transport | 84,323 |
| Other | 1,906 |
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) | 1,919,220 | 5,384,684 | +3,465,464 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,170,157 | 339,799 | -830,358 |
| Air transport | 15,370 | 68,953 | +53,583 |
| Other | 1,906 | 0 | -1,906 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Felixstowe | 3,741,655 |
| London Gateway Port | 1,573,386 |
| Heysham | 1,189,846 |
| Southampton | 838,770 |
| Hull | 752,537 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Felixstowe | 609,495 | 3,132,160 | +2,522,665 |
| London Gateway Port | 139,023 | 1,434,363 | +1,295,340 |
| Heysham | 986,186 | 203,660 | -782,526 |
| Southampton | 111,940 | 726,830 | +614,890 |
| Hull | 752,537 | 0 | -752,537 |
| Liverpool Docks | 68,230 | 147,759 | +79,529 |
| Immingham Docks | 179,713 | 27,415 | -152,298 |
| London | 186,090 | 6,116 | -179,974 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 15,370 | 59,506 | +44,136 |
| Dover | 46,767 | 0 | -46,767 |
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 | 8 |
| Waste collection, treatment and disposal activities; materials recovery | 5 |
| Remediation activities and other waste management services. | 2 |
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 2 |
| Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis | 1 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 2 |
| 2025-11 | 2 |
| 2025-10 | 3 |
| 2025-09 | 2 |
| 2025-08 | 3 |
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 |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 9 |
| 54m+ | 7 |
| 0-1m | 6 |
| 15m-54m | 2 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Spain | 10,855,669 |
| France | 8,910,590 |
| Netherlands | 7,027,506 |
| Turkey | 3,943,235 |
| Germany | 1,950,316 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 6,342,973 | 4,512,696 | -1,830,277 |
| France | 2,719,599 | 6,190,991 | +3,471,392 |
| Netherlands | 3,182,388 | 3,845,118 | +662,730 |
| Turkey | 2,221,905 | 1,721,330 | -500,575 |
| Germany | 998,058 | 952,258 | -45,800 |
| Indonesia | 0 | 1,637,330 | +1,637,330 |
| Ireland | 446,388 | 1,153,511 | +707,123 |
| Portugal | 241,388 | 1,242,900 | +1,001,512 |
| United States | 500,570 | 930,022 | +429,452 |
| Slovakia | 75,138 | 1,203,110 | +1,127,972 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| XI | 193 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| XI | 193 | 0 | -193 |
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) | 28,865,399 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 17,377,519 |
| Air transport | 8,144 |
| Other | 193 |
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) | 11,404,009 | 17,461,390 | +6,057,381 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 8,770,838 | 8,606,681 | -164,157 |
| Air transport | 3,066 | 5,078 | +2,012 |
| Other | 193 | 0 | -193 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 9,346,547 |
| Immingham Docks | 9,218,201 |
| Felixstowe | 5,539,421 |
| London | 5,154,168 |
| London Gateway Port | 3,813,308 |
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 | 3,386,852 | 5,959,695 | +2,572,843 |
| Immingham Docks | 3,669,703 | 5,548,498 | +1,878,795 |
| Felixstowe | 3,302,237 | 2,237,184 | -1,065,053 |
| London | 2,376,795 | 2,777,373 | +400,578 |
| London Gateway Port | 1,076,581 | 2,736,727 | +1,660,146 |
| Thamesport | 1,769,220 | 1,068,261 | -700,959 |
| Southampton | 498,633 | 967,794 | +469,161 |
| Liverpool Docks | 787,587 | 657,619 | -129,968 |
| Hull | 902,053 | 258,232 | -643,821 |
| Dover | 854,088 | 221,402 | -632,686 |
Quick facts
HS code: 39159020
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Recyclable plastic scraps made from polyethylene terephthalate, often used for bottles