Import/export HS code 81129950: Niobium (columbium)
A rare metal used in alloys and industrial applications
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 | 5,445,635 |
| Netherlands | 2,334,768 |
| Germany | 1,045,222 |
| China | 918,855 |
| France | 275,143 |
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 | 123,093 | 5,322,542 | +5,199,449 |
| Netherlands | 1,433,362 | 901,406 | -531,956 |
| Germany | 866,683 | 178,539 | -688,144 |
| China | 371,037 | 547,818 | +176,781 |
| France | 66,130 | 209,013 | +142,883 |
| Canada | 65,746 | 0 | -65,746 |
| Belgium | 51,629 | 0 | -51,629 |
| Ireland | 1,833 | 8,395 | +6,562 |
| Brazil | 0 | 5,697 | +5,697 |
| China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | 2,087 | 0 | -2,087 |
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 | 5,507,752 |
| Brazil | 2,340,465 |
| Germany | 1,033,269 |
| China | 931,787 |
| France | 270,726 |
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 | 183,143 | 5,324,609 | +5,141,466 |
| Brazil | 1,433,362 | 907,103 | -526,259 |
| Germany | 866,683 | 166,586 | -700,097 |
| China | 371,037 | 560,750 | +189,713 |
| France | 66,130 | 204,596 | +138,466 |
| Belgium | 51,629 | 0 | -51,629 |
| Ireland | 1,463 | 8,103 | +6,640 |
| United Kingdom | 2,264 | 1,371 | -893 |
| Canada | 3,432 | 0 | -3,432 |
| China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | 2,087 | 0 | -2,087 |
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 | 3 |
| Essex | 3 |
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | 2 |
| Inner London - East | 2 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 2 |
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 | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| Essex | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| Inner London - East | 2 | 0 | -2 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 0 | 1 | +1 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 0 | 1 | +1 |
| Gloucestershire and Wiltshire | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| Inner London - West | 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) | 5,477,935 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 3,361,896 |
| Air transport | 1,316,742 |
| Other | 662 |
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) | 180,325 | 5,297,610 | +5,117,285 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 2,297,254 | 1,064,642 | -1,232,612 |
| Air transport | 505,876 | 810,866 | +304,990 |
| Other | 370 | 292 | -78 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Gateway Port | 5,213,587 |
| Immingham Docks | 2,457,478 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 634,113 |
| Dover | 416,756 |
| Hull | 324,426 |
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 Gateway Port | 0 | 5,213,587 | +5,213,587 |
| Immingham Docks | 1,556,072 | 901,406 | -654,666 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 130,210 | 503,903 | +373,693 |
| Dover | 416,756 | 0 | -416,756 |
| Hull | 324,426 | 0 | -324,426 |
| Felixstowe | 180,325 | 69,574 | -110,751 |
| East Midlands Airport | 12,748 | 231,123 | +218,375 |
| London Stansted Airport | 123,422 | 51,135 | -72,287 |
| Tyne | 0 | 157,539 | +157,539 |
| Manchester Airport | 115,763 | 0 | -115,763 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
| Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment | 4 |
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 4 |
| Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis | 2 |
| Manufacture of basic metals | 2 |
| Other manufacturing | 2 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 4 |
| 2025-11 | 4 |
| 2025-08 | 3 |
| 2025-07 | 2 |
| 2025-06 | 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+ | 8 |
| 15m-54m | 4 |
| Other | 1 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Brazil | 586,305 |
| Switzerland | 275,804 |
| United States | 234,529 |
| France | 128,338 |
| Germany | 116,162 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 271,741 | 314,564 | +42,823 |
| Switzerland | 63,939 | 211,865 | +147,926 |
| United States | 182,410 | 52,119 | -130,291 |
| France | 86,411 | 41,927 | -44,484 |
| Germany | 84,584 | 31,578 | -53,006 |
| Ireland | 1,481 | 62,525 | +61,044 |
| Japan | 38,500 | 21,760 | -16,740 |
| Canada | 4,418 | 39,104 | +34,686 |
| South Africa | 0 | 38,000 | +38,000 |
| China | 18,324 | 15,358 | -2,966 |
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 | 2,844 |
| Taiwan | 819 |
| United States | 223 |
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 | 1,138 | 1,706 | +568 |
| Taiwan | 0 | 819 | +819 |
| United States | 223 | 0 | -223 |
Export volume by transport
What this shows: Export value by transport mode used to ship goods from the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Air transport | 1,394,809 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 221,102 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 24,727 |
| Other | 4,006 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air transport | 599,313 | 795,496 | +196,183 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 181,998 | 39,104 | -142,894 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,008 | 23,719 | +22,711 |
| Other | 1,481 | 2,525 | +1,044 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 677,533 |
| East Midlands Airport | 489,238 |
| London Stansted Airport | 198,099 |
| London Gateway Port | 179,400 |
| Liverpool Docks | 39,104 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 313,691 | 363,842 | +50,151 |
| East Midlands Airport | 179,973 | 309,265 | +129,292 |
| London Stansted Airport | 87,673 | 110,426 | +22,753 |
| London Gateway Port | 179,400 | 0 | -179,400 |
| Liverpool Docks | 0 | 39,104 | +39,104 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 1,008 | 23,719 | +22,711 |
| ZLC | 17,976 | 6,575 | -11,401 |
| Aberdeen Airport | 0 | 5,388 | +5,388 |
| 000 | 1,481 | 2,525 | +1,044 |
| Belfast Port | 2,598 | 0 | -2,598 |
Quick facts
HS code: 81129950
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: A rare metal used in alloys and industrial applications