Import/export HS code 72: Iron and Steel
Basic forms of iron and steel, including raw materials and alloys used in construction and manufacturing
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 | 1,407,469,574 |
| Germany | 963,839,343 |
| France | 913,714,144 |
| Spain | 826,653,695 |
| Belgium | 818,312,259 |
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 | 786,790,586 | 620,678,988 | -166,111,598 |
| Germany | 548,992,468 | 414,846,875 | -134,145,593 |
| France | 391,471,392 | 522,242,752 | +130,771,360 |
| Spain | 483,375,220 | 343,278,475 | -140,096,745 |
| Belgium | 453,425,289 | 364,886,970 | -88,538,319 |
| India | 429,094,509 | 383,025,850 | -46,068,659 |
| South Korea | 256,923,812 | 360,713,355 | +103,789,543 |
| Turkey | 224,607,941 | 233,493,094 | +8,885,153 |
| Sweden | 204,350,344 | 186,088,154 | -18,262,190 |
| China | 202,390,815 | 170,811,311 | -31,579,504 |
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 | 980,118,705 |
| France | 867,460,069 |
| India | 837,777,445 |
| Netherlands | 823,544,359 |
| Spain | 763,073,480 |
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 | 575,362,549 | 404,756,156 | -170,606,393 |
| France | 396,758,707 | 470,701,362 | +73,942,655 |
| India | 441,504,112 | 396,273,333 | -45,230,779 |
| Netherlands | 433,041,096 | 390,503,263 | -42,537,833 |
| Spain | 445,526,072 | 317,547,408 | -127,978,664 |
| Belgium | 368,623,196 | 305,731,247 | -62,891,949 |
| South Korea | 275,592,634 | 376,787,419 | +101,194,785 |
| Turkey | 238,846,485 | 240,029,306 | +1,182,821 |
| China | 216,210,058 | 182,842,629 | -33,367,429 |
| Sweden | 205,263,676 | 186,819,871 | -18,443,805 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| West Midlands | 300 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 195 |
| Greater Manchester | 186 |
| Inner London - West | 175 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 147 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Midlands | 247 | 228 | -19 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 137 | 135 | -2 |
| Greater Manchester | 145 | 123 | -22 |
| Inner London - West | 128 | 113 | -15 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 114 | 106 | -8 |
| West Yorkshire | 106 | 108 | +2 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 102 | 100 | -2 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 103 | 105 | +2 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 97 | 106 | +9 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 102 | 94 | -8 |
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) | 7,406,039,166 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 2,501,485,426 |
| Other | 346,543,233 |
| Air transport | 109,100,034 |
| Road transport | 6,546,772 |
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) | 3,895,806,521 | 3,510,232,645 | -385,573,876 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,379,833,217 | 1,121,652,209 | -258,181,008 |
| Other | 182,990,474 | 163,552,759 | -19,437,715 |
| Air transport | 52,853,248 | 56,246,786 | +3,393,538 |
| Road transport | 1,666,640 | 4,880,132 | +3,213,492 |
| Rail transport | 200,034 | 143,772 | -56,262 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Newport | 1,277,325,254 |
| Immingham Docks | 1,218,384,992 |
| Liverpool Docks | 1,098,058,040 |
| Boston | 666,602,717 |
| Dover | 585,639,973 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newport | 576,468,843 | 700,856,411 | +124,387,568 |
| Immingham Docks | 621,326,728 | 597,058,264 | -24,268,464 |
| Liverpool Docks | 646,320,301 | 451,737,739 | -194,582,562 |
| Boston | 363,248,841 | 303,353,876 | -59,894,965 |
| Dover | 316,501,371 | 269,138,602 | -47,362,769 |
| TRT | 322,240,764 | 206,930,435 | -115,310,329 |
| London | 290,936,859 | 231,924,968 | -59,011,891 |
| Felixstowe | 275,481,191 | 217,709,344 | -57,771,847 |
| Avonmouth Docks | 197,240,489 | 273,290,058 | +76,049,569 |
| Cardiff Docks | 183,820,136 | 172,506,028 | -11,314,108 |
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 | 823 |
| Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment | 579 |
| Other manufacturing | 293 |
| Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. | 259 |
| Specialised construction activities | 213 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 790 |
| 2025-11 | 837 |
| 2025-10 | 940 |
| 2025-09 | 861 |
| 2025-08 | 824 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| SPECIALISED WELDING PRODUCTS LIMITED | 120 |
| BARRETT STEEL LIMITED | 120 |
| SMITHS METAL CENTRES LIMITED | 120 |
| DUFERCO UK LIMITED | 120 |
| DYNAMIC METALS LIMITED | 120 |
| HOWCO GROUP PLC | 120 |
| NEONICKEL (BLACKBURN) LIMITED | 119 |
| ACERINOX (U.K.) LIMITED | 119 |
| AEROSPACE METALLIC SUPPLY LIMITED | 119 |
| WELDFAST (UK) LIMITED | 118 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 1520 |
| 54m+ | 1139 |
| 15m-54m | 478 |
| 0-1m | 378 |
| Other | 254 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Turkey | 1,202,822,597 |
| Belgium | 827,678,211 |
| Egypt | 733,749,681 |
| Spain | 723,567,586 |
| Ireland | 699,854,578 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 653,872,614 | 548,949,983 | -104,922,631 |
| Belgium | 473,431,708 | 354,246,503 | -119,185,205 |
| Egypt | 457,148,096 | 276,601,585 | -180,546,511 |
| Spain | 409,123,565 | 314,444,021 | -94,679,544 |
| Ireland | 371,687,176 | 328,167,402 | -43,519,774 |
| India | 426,159,234 | 269,419,210 | -156,740,024 |
| Netherlands | 374,286,273 | 312,549,402 | -61,736,871 |
| United States | 273,474,016 | 302,262,479 | +28,788,463 |
| Pakistan | 250,517,644 | 238,091,909 | -12,425,735 |
| Germany | 217,216,531 | 230,445,824 | +13,229,293 |
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 | 216,315,100 |
| Turkey | 22,134,655 |
| Portugal | 13,681,965 |
| Belgium | 10,146,969 |
| Spain | 9,317,675 |
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 | 119,023,674 | 97,291,426 | -21,732,248 |
| Turkey | 12,676,138 | 9,458,517 | -3,217,621 |
| Portugal | 5,506,790 | 8,175,175 | +2,668,385 |
| Belgium | 4,560,646 | 5,586,323 | +1,025,677 |
| Spain | 6,020,154 | 3,297,521 | -2,722,633 |
| France | 4,561,132 | 4,693,758 | +132,626 |
| Taiwan | 5,582,245 | 1,485,384 | -4,096,861 |
| Germany | 2,515,840 | 4,150,239 | +1,634,399 |
| Nicaragua | 5,301,240 | 963,949 | -4,337,291 |
| South Korea | 1,709,300 | 2,770,970 | +1,061,670 |
Export volume by transport
What this shows: Export value by transport mode used to ship goods from the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 6,798,557,726 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 2,835,202,600 |
| Other | 381,543,753 |
| Air transport | 109,817,920 |
| Road transport | 1,423,040 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 3,799,913,896 | 2,998,643,830 | -801,270,066 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,527,454,167 | 1,307,748,433 | -219,705,734 |
| Other | 206,296,795 | 175,246,958 | -31,049,837 |
| Air transport | 56,951,967 | 52,865,953 | -4,086,014 |
| Road transport | 1,416,461 | 6,579 | -1,409,882 |
| Rail transport | 0 | 1,234,418 | +1,234,418 |
| Own propulsion (e.g. imported vehicle driven across land boundary) | 192,635 | 10,669 | -181,966 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 1,463,659,422 |
| Liverpool Docks | 1,358,985,357 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 1,027,890,061 |
| Felixstowe | 852,148,234 |
| London Gateway Port | 800,422,305 |
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 | 834,104,923 | 629,554,499 | -204,550,424 |
| Liverpool Docks | 719,702,411 | 639,282,946 | -80,419,465 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 560,656,433 | 467,233,628 | -93,422,805 |
| Felixstowe | 604,430,873 | 247,717,361 | -356,713,512 |
| London Gateway Port | 412,707,504 | 387,714,801 | -24,992,703 |
| Newport | 445,466,823 | 292,065,354 | -153,401,469 |
| London | 345,325,608 | 277,221,342 | -68,104,266 |
| Southampton | 201,929,945 | 251,797,482 | +49,867,537 |
| 000 | 206,281,381 | 174,712,632 | -31,568,749 |
| Avonmouth Docks | 240,158,384 | 115,381,947 | -124,776,437 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
- 7201 – Pig Iron and Spiegeleisen
- 7202 – Ferro-alloys
- 7203 – Direct-reduced iron and spongy iron
- 7204 – Iron and steel waste and scrap
- 7205 – Iron or steel granules and powders
- 7206 – Iron and steel in basic forms
- 7207 – Semi-finished iron and steel products
- 7208 – Hot-rolled flat steel sheets, 600mm or wider
- 7209 – Flat-rolled steel sheets, 600 mm or wider, cold-rolled, without coating
- 7210 – Flat-rolled steel sheets, 600 mm or wider, coated or plated
- 7211 – Flat-rolled iron or steel products, less than 600mm wide, not coated
- 7212 – Flat-rolled steel, less than 600mm wide, coated
- 7213 – Hot-rolled steel bars and rods in coils
- 7214 – Forged or hot-rolled steel bars and rods
- 7215 – Iron or steel bars and rods
- 7216 – Iron or steel angles, shapes, and sections
- 7217 – Iron or steel wire
- 7218 – Stainless steel in primary forms
- 7219 – Flat stainless steel sheets, 600mm or wider
- 7220 – Stainless steel sheets under 600mm wide
- 7221 – Hot-rolled stainless steel bars and rods in coils
- 7222 – Various stainless steel bars, rods, angles, and shapes
- 7223 – Stainless steel wire
- 7224 – Various alloy steel products
- 7225 – Flat steel products, 600mm or wider
- 7226 – Flat steel products, under 600mm wide
- 7227 – Hot-rolled steel bars and rods in coils
- 7228 – Various alloy steel bars, rods, and shapes
- 7229 – Steel wire made from alloy steel
Quick facts
HS code: 72
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Basic forms of iron and steel, including raw materials and alloys used in construction and manufacturing