Import/export HS code 81: Various base metals and cermets
Includes various base metals, cermets, and products made from them, such as tools and parts
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| United States | 655,633,016 |
| China | 276,332,142 |
| Germany | 176,771,308 |
| France | 164,619,892 |
| Netherlands | 131,775,892 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 339,593,540 | 316,039,476 | -23,554,064 |
| China | 156,399,157 | 119,932,985 | -36,466,172 |
| Germany | 84,143,273 | 92,628,035 | +8,484,762 |
| France | 88,738,197 | 75,881,695 | -12,856,502 |
| Netherlands | 73,610,605 | 58,165,287 | -15,445,318 |
| Japan | 56,623,792 | 39,701,321 | -16,922,471 |
| Austria | 31,795,554 | 25,128,056 | -6,667,498 |
| Russia | 33,130,155 | 19,307,572 | -13,822,583 |
| Turkey | 12,141,651 | 12,956,500 | +814,849 |
| Canada | 10,960,200 | 12,153,603 | +1,193,403 |
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 | 663,803,288 |
| China | 377,180,194 |
| Germany | 155,500,157 |
| France | 111,607,656 |
| Japan | 109,988,322 |
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 | 343,924,841 | 319,878,447 | -24,046,394 |
| China | 208,325,381 | 168,854,813 | -39,470,568 |
| Germany | 75,013,074 | 80,487,083 | +5,474,009 |
| France | 59,464,754 | 52,142,902 | -7,321,852 |
| Japan | 64,962,788 | 45,025,534 | -19,937,254 |
| Austria | 55,230,294 | 45,279,912 | -9,950,382 |
| Russia | 36,032,469 | 21,742,772 | -14,289,697 |
| Canada | 10,758,918 | 17,090,813 | +6,331,895 |
| Turkey | 11,758,278 | 12,427,673 | +669,395 |
| Taiwan | 10,779,971 | 11,985,064 | +1,205,093 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 114 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 90 |
| West Midlands | 86 |
| Inner London - West | 75 |
| Greater Manchester | 71 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 81 | 87 | +6 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 66 | 64 | -2 |
| West Midlands | 69 | 62 | -7 |
| Inner London - West | 52 | 61 | +9 |
| Greater Manchester | 52 | 51 | -1 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 39 | 42 | +3 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 40 | 44 | +4 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 41 | 42 | +1 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 37 | 38 | +1 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 39 | 25 | -14 |
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) | 672,100,420 |
| Air transport | 572,217,789 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 497,124,027 |
| Other | 91,271,099 |
| Road transport | 6,476,307 |
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) | 378,600,930 | 293,499,490 | -85,101,440 |
| Air transport | 265,576,238 | 306,641,551 | +41,065,313 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 257,567,132 | 239,556,895 | -18,010,237 |
| Other | 64,817,614 | 26,453,485 | -38,364,129 |
| Road transport | 2,479,102 | 3,997,205 | +1,518,103 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 356,863,218 |
| Southampton | 288,884,238 |
| Felixstowe | 231,785,698 |
| Dover | 191,621,121 |
| Immingham Docks | 155,847,618 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 157,912,019 | 198,951,199 | +41,039,180 |
| Southampton | 170,215,063 | 118,669,175 | -51,545,888 |
| Felixstowe | 128,737,296 | 103,048,402 | -25,688,894 |
| Dover | 101,189,118 | 90,432,003 | -10,757,115 |
| Immingham Docks | 74,361,907 | 81,485,711 | +7,123,804 |
| 000 | 64,809,042 | 26,417,705 | -38,391,337 |
| East Midlands Airport | 37,131,291 | 40,980,832 | +3,849,541 |
| Eurotunnel | 34,209,156 | 31,622,925 | -2,586,231 |
| Liverpool Docks | 36,253,400 | 24,183,911 | -12,069,489 |
| London Stansted Airport | 21,402,023 | 22,573,014 | +1,170,991 |
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 | 258 |
| Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment | 188 |
| Other manufacturing | 147 |
| Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. | 101 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 75 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 380 |
| 2025-11 | 371 |
| 2025-10 | 363 |
| 2025-09 | 353 |
| 2025-08 | 358 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| SPS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED | 120 |
| GKN AEROSPACE SERVICES LIMITED | 120 |
| TIMET UK LIMITED | 120 |
| GOODFELLOW CAMBRIDGE LIMITED | 120 |
| HAYNES INTERNATIONAL LTD | 120 |
| TESTBOURNE LIMITED | 120 |
| ELG UTICA ALLOYS LIMITED | 120 |
| BAE SYSTEMS (OPERATIONS) LIMITED | 120 |
| AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED | 120 |
| VBC GROUP LTD | 120 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 565 |
| 54m+ | 473 |
| 15m-54m | 160 |
| 0-1m | 117 |
| Other | 99 |
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 | 447,418,544 |
| Germany | 387,638,632 |
| France | 355,191,364 |
| Czechia | 172,202,845 |
| Japan | 108,568,706 |
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 | 275,411,322 | 172,007,222 | -103,404,100 |
| Germany | 211,384,352 | 176,254,280 | -35,130,072 |
| France | 192,685,163 | 162,506,201 | -30,178,962 |
| Czechia | 88,554,880 | 83,647,965 | -4,906,915 |
| Japan | 56,276,859 | 52,291,847 | -3,985,012 |
| Turkey | 32,078,816 | 58,828,343 | +26,749,527 |
| Italy | 44,644,152 | 39,860,918 | -4,783,234 |
| China | 29,052,254 | 27,703,302 | -1,348,952 |
| Austria | 35,352,238 | 19,514,380 | -15,837,858 |
| Netherlands | 24,652,125 | 26,484,342 | +1,832,217 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| China | 23,917,542 |
| United States | 1,140,320 |
| Russia | 215,016 |
| XI | 97,579 |
| Canada | 53,967 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 14,959,579 | 8,957,963 | -6,001,616 |
| United States | 771,256 | 369,064 | -402,192 |
| Russia | 212,005 | 3,011 | -208,994 |
| XI | 85,593 | 11,986 | -73,607 |
| Canada | 53,967 | 0 | -53,967 |
| Japan | 11,477 | 953 | -10,524 |
| Austria | 6,445 | 1,301 | -5,144 |
| Mexico | 0 | 4,446 | +4,446 |
| Taiwan | 548 | 1,053 | +505 |
| Czechia | 487 | 0 | -487 |
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) | 1,078,086,629 |
| Air transport | 653,093,112 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 511,808,237 |
| Other | 25,835,526 |
| Road transport | 887,319 |
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) | 574,575,619 | 503,511,010 | -71,064,609 |
| Air transport | 344,462,072 | 308,631,040 | -35,831,032 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 313,593,801 | 198,214,436 | -115,379,365 |
| Other | 16,150,206 | 9,685,320 | -6,464,886 |
| Road transport | 767,773 | 119,546 | -648,227 |
| Own propulsion (e.g. imported vehicle driven across land boundary) | 55,507 | 0 | -55,507 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 743,202,396 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 272,966,792 |
| Dover | 200,186,870 |
| Liverpool Docks | 163,489,610 |
| Southampton | 152,544,061 |
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 | 398,120,142 | 345,082,254 | -53,037,888 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 131,528,203 | 141,438,589 | +9,910,386 |
| Dover | 111,898,923 | 88,287,947 | -23,610,976 |
| Liverpool Docks | 111,413,567 | 52,076,043 | -59,337,524 |
| Southampton | 95,636,349 | 56,907,712 | -38,728,637 |
| East Midlands Airport | 71,468,743 | 61,799,006 | -9,669,737 |
| Manchester Airport | 69,078,993 | 40,740,884 | -28,338,109 |
| Immingham Docks | 40,932,966 | 44,558,935 | +3,625,969 |
| London Gateway Port | 45,229,882 | 38,241,991 | -6,987,891 |
| London | 17,922,907 | 42,513,756 | +24,590,849 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
- 8101 – Tungsten and tungsten products
- 8102 – Molybdenum and products made from it
- 8103 – Tantalum and products made from it
- 8104 – Magnesium and related products
- 8105 – Cobalt and related products
- 8106 – Bismuth and products made from it
- 8108 – Titanium and products made from it
- 8109 – Zirconium and its products
- 8110 – Antimony and its products
- 8111 – Manganese and products made from it
- 8112 – Beryllium, chromium, and other metals
- 8113 – Cermets and related items, including waste and scrap
Quick facts
HS code: 81
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Includes various base metals, cermets, and products made from them, such as tools and parts