Import/export HS code 48: Paper and Paperboard Products
Includes all types of paper, paperboard, and items made from paper pulp, such as packaging, stationery, and more
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 | 1,606,230,057 |
| China | 1,444,498,938 |
| Sweden | 1,014,180,790 |
| Netherlands | 957,112,271 |
| Belgium | 802,636,418 |
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 | 858,292,466 | 747,937,591 | -110,354,875 |
| China | 795,016,021 | 649,482,917 | -145,533,104 |
| Sweden | 567,355,385 | 446,825,405 | -120,529,980 |
| Netherlands | 512,699,998 | 444,412,273 | -68,287,725 |
| Belgium | 465,028,175 | 337,608,243 | -127,419,932 |
| France | 443,974,873 | 355,186,833 | -88,788,040 |
| Finland | 458,046,056 | 334,342,042 | -123,704,014 |
| Italy | 340,686,314 | 291,601,035 | -49,085,279 |
| Turkey | 287,784,280 | 227,136,141 | -60,648,139 |
| United States | 198,238,236 | 173,147,533 | -25,090,703 |
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 | 1,748,700,871 |
| China | 1,586,039,512 |
| Sweden | 1,085,613,356 |
| Finland | 791,917,392 |
| Italy | 707,606,173 |
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 | 957,534,582 | 791,166,289 | -166,368,293 |
| China | 870,943,228 | 715,096,284 | -155,846,944 |
| Sweden | 612,457,960 | 473,155,396 | -139,302,564 |
| Finland | 440,536,512 | 351,380,880 | -89,155,632 |
| Italy | 384,825,304 | 322,780,869 | -62,044,435 |
| France | 333,978,715 | 278,516,597 | -55,462,118 |
| Netherlands | 292,828,083 | 262,154,596 | -30,673,487 |
| Turkey | 288,464,361 | 228,994,013 | -59,470,348 |
| Poland | 263,807,929 | 223,790,371 | -40,017,558 |
| United States | 220,142,547 | 190,680,458 | -29,462,089 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 1326 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 709 |
| Greater Manchester | 706 |
| Inner London - East | 692 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 650 |
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 | 1002 | 959 | -43 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 509 | 507 | -2 |
| Greater Manchester | 545 | 521 | -24 |
| Inner London - East | 519 | 470 | -49 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 500 | 474 | -26 |
| West Midlands | 394 | 375 | -19 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 390 | 360 | -30 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 373 | 360 | -13 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 374 | 338 | -36 |
| West Yorkshire | 325 | 303 | -22 |
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) | 6,029,177,652 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 4,853,275,883 |
| Other | 397,143,593 |
| Air transport | 328,586,362 |
| Road transport | 37,332,776 |
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) | 3,363,745,839 | 2,665,431,813 | -698,314,026 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 2,631,861,475 | 2,221,414,408 | -410,447,067 |
| Other | 233,598,621 | 163,544,972 | -70,053,649 |
| Air transport | 173,908,253 | 154,678,109 | -19,230,144 |
| Road transport | 16,262,911 | 21,069,865 | +4,806,954 |
| Rail transport | 249,392 | 120,007 | -129,385 |
| Own propulsion (e.g. imported vehicle driven across land boundary) | 19,167 | 0 | -19,167 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Felixstowe | 1,631,628,539 |
| Dover | 1,536,467,016 |
| London | 1,527,388,705 |
| Immingham Docks | 1,463,651,897 |
| Liverpool Docks | 672,563,962 |
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 | 949,211,181 | 682,417,358 | -266,793,823 |
| Dover | 835,599,004 | 700,868,012 | -134,730,992 |
| London | 858,977,305 | 668,411,400 | -190,565,905 |
| Immingham Docks | 778,532,968 | 685,118,929 | -93,414,039 |
| Liverpool Docks | 370,784,657 | 301,779,305 | -69,005,352 |
| Southampton | 322,403,539 | 263,782,118 | -58,621,421 |
| Medway | 252,383,854 | 246,184,051 | -6,199,803 |
| Eurotunnel | 254,010,606 | 186,786,640 | -67,223,966 |
| 000 | 233,286,650 | 162,238,595 | -71,048,055 |
| London Gateway Port | 175,692,785 | 206,472,830 | +30,780,045 |
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 | 4010 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 2864 |
| Office administrative, office support and other business support activities | 728 |
| Other manufacturing | 630 |
| Manufacture of food products | 505 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 2813 |
| 2025-11 | 3155 |
| 2025-10 | 3344 |
| 2025-09 | 3119 |
| 2025-08 | 2975 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| ACCO UK LIMITED | 120 |
| COLPAC LIMITED | 120 |
| ASDA STORES LIMITED | 120 |
| SMITH & BATESON LIMITED, | 120 |
| ESTEE LAUDER COSMETICS LIMITED | 120 |
| VITABIOTICS LIMITED | 120 |
| 3M UNITED KINGDOM PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY | 120 |
| TALLON INTERNATIONAL LIMITED | 120 |
| RMS INTERNATIONAL UK LTD | 120 |
| GAFBROS LIMITED | 120 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 5036 |
| 0-1m | 2636 |
| 54m+ | 2560 |
| 15m-54m | 1252 |
| Other | 857 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Ireland | 1,067,446,845 |
| United States | 428,354,959 |
| Netherlands | 355,041,733 |
| France | 323,946,082 |
| Germany | 321,990,169 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 585,751,976 | 481,694,869 | -104,057,107 |
| United States | 228,279,711 | 200,075,248 | -28,204,463 |
| Netherlands | 186,416,929 | 168,624,804 | -17,792,125 |
| France | 176,335,898 | 147,610,184 | -28,725,714 |
| Germany | 178,505,087 | 143,485,082 | -35,020,005 |
| Belgium | 90,294,547 | 75,290,345 | -15,004,202 |
| Italy | 63,355,700 | 48,863,002 | -14,492,698 |
| Poland | 52,887,729 | 44,601,231 | -8,286,498 |
| Spain | 42,682,811 | 35,388,829 | -7,293,982 |
| China | 36,599,385 | 26,026,132 | -10,573,253 |
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 | 252,236,498 |
| Norway | 17,100,313 |
| Ireland | 10,257,406 |
| Canada | 1,855,532 |
| Switzerland | 1,831,811 |
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 | 131,760,128 | 120,476,370 | -11,283,758 |
| Norway | 9,159,017 | 7,941,296 | -1,217,721 |
| Ireland | 5,946,597 | 4,310,809 | -1,635,788 |
| Canada | 1,263,396 | 592,136 | -671,260 |
| Switzerland | 997,682 | 834,129 | -163,553 |
| China | 967,289 | 643,986 | -323,303 |
| Germany | 832,769 | 256,605 | -576,164 |
| United States | 908,414 | 128,692 | -779,722 |
| Italy | 562,425 | 192,522 | -369,903 |
| France | 250,954 | 148,418 | -102,536 |
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) | 2,369,123,637 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 875,872,471 |
| Other | 329,781,420 |
| Air transport | 255,028,244 |
| Road transport | 731,828 |
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) | 1,284,206,881 | 1,084,916,756 | -199,290,125 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 505,691,011 | 370,181,460 | -135,509,551 |
| Other | 174,916,201 | 154,865,219 | -20,050,982 |
| Air transport | 132,655,598 | 122,372,646 | -10,282,952 |
| Road transport | 653,647 | 78,181 | -575,466 |
| Rail transport | 56,627 | 0 | -56,627 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 968,769,232 |
| Liverpool Docks | 482,522,711 |
| Immingham Docks | 358,511,809 |
| 000 | 328,756,878 |
| Southampton | 228,176,066 |
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 | 521,794,506 | 446,974,726 | -74,819,780 |
| Liverpool Docks | 278,360,285 | 204,162,426 | -74,197,859 |
| Immingham Docks | 191,407,791 | 167,104,018 | -24,303,773 |
| 000 | 174,666,430 | 154,090,448 | -20,575,982 |
| Southampton | 122,245,890 | 105,930,176 | -16,315,714 |
| Holyhead | 108,932,280 | 102,245,351 | -6,686,929 |
| London Gateway Port | 110,975,414 | 80,970,688 | -30,004,726 |
| Felixstowe | 85,120,092 | 50,878,404 | -34,241,688 |
| Dover | 64,654,277 | 44,545,799 | -20,108,478 |
| Heysham | 52,623,058 | 51,327,772 | -1,295,286 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
- 4801 – Newsprint Paper
- 4802 – Uncoated paper and paperboard for writing or printing
- 4803 – Household and sanitary paper
- 4804 – Uncoated kraft paper and paperboard in rolls or sheets
- 4805 – Uncoated paper and paperboard in rolls or sheets
- 4806 – Specialty papers like parchment, greaseproof, and tracing papers
- 4807 – Composite paper and paperboard
- 4808 – Specialty paper and paperboard
- 4809 – Carbon paper and copying papers
- 4810 – Coated paper and paperboard
- 4811 – Coated or printed paper and paperboard rolls or sheets
- 4812 – Paper pulp filter blocks and plates
- 4813 – Cigarette paper
- 4814 – Wallpaper and window transparencies
- 4816 – Carbon paper and copying papers
- 4817 – Envelopes and paper stationery
- 4818 – Toilet paper and similar household paper products
- 4819 – Paper packaging and office supplies
- 4820 – Paper and cardboard stationery items
- 4821 – Paper or cardboard labels
- 4822 – Supports for winding yarn or thread
- 4823 – Cut paper and paperboard products
Quick facts
HS code: 48
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Includes all types of paper, paperboard, and items made from paper pulp, such as packaging, stationery, and more