Import/export HS code 8438: Machines for making food and drinks
Industrial machines used to prepare or manufacture food and drinks, excluding those for extracting oils or fats
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 | 175,685,832 |
| Netherlands | 154,150,928 |
| Italy | 124,485,675 |
| United States | 64,688,396 |
| France | 53,010,908 |
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 | 92,383,512 | 83,302,320 | -9,081,192 |
| Netherlands | 63,457,053 | 90,693,875 | +27,236,822 |
| Italy | 52,916,201 | 71,569,474 | +18,653,273 |
| United States | 35,963,242 | 28,725,154 | -7,238,088 |
| France | 23,275,901 | 29,735,007 | +6,459,106 |
| Denmark | 22,450,436 | 29,437,731 | +6,987,295 |
| Switzerland | 19,390,096 | 28,972,722 | +9,582,626 |
| China | 15,386,226 | 15,245,716 | -140,510 |
| Belgium | 14,317,110 | 15,348,740 | +1,031,630 |
| Austria | 10,605,415 | 14,869,465 | +4,264,050 |
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 | 184,674,659 |
| Netherlands | 133,879,741 |
| Italy | 128,335,815 |
| United States | 74,060,667 |
| Denmark | 50,926,997 |
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 | 97,511,837 | 87,162,822 | -10,349,015 |
| Netherlands | 53,970,487 | 79,909,254 | +25,938,767 |
| Italy | 55,496,437 | 72,839,378 | +17,342,941 |
| United States | 39,870,518 | 34,190,149 | -5,680,369 |
| Denmark | 21,532,354 | 29,394,643 | +7,862,289 |
| Switzerland | 15,384,550 | 23,246,874 | +7,862,324 |
| France | 15,768,365 | 22,320,618 | +6,552,253 |
| China | 18,357,373 | 19,079,536 | +722,163 |
| Belgium | 11,021,207 | 15,947,147 | +4,925,940 |
| Spain | 13,238,939 | 10,436,527 | -2,802,412 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 133 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 112 |
| Greater Manchester | 109 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 106 |
| West Midlands | 93 |
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 | 82 | 87 | +5 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 79 | 70 | -9 |
| Greater Manchester | 77 | 66 | -11 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 77 | 83 | +6 |
| West Midlands | 61 | 68 | +7 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 62 | 61 | -1 |
| Inner London - East | 60 | 54 | -6 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 60 | 60 | +0 |
| West Yorkshire | 61 | 58 | -3 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 48 | 52 | +4 |
Import volume by transport
What this shows: Import value by transport mode used to bring goods into the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 588,738,156 |
| Air transport | 136,543,689 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 128,971,456 |
| Road transport | 15,967,524 |
| Other | 15,304,317 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 259,555,332 | 329,182,824 | +69,627,492 |
| Air transport | 68,063,194 | 68,480,495 | +417,301 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 71,044,546 | 57,926,910 | -13,117,636 |
| Road transport | 6,853,221 | 9,114,303 | +2,261,082 |
| Other | 9,616,784 | 5,687,533 | -3,929,251 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover | 273,291,238 |
| Immingham Docks | 104,456,839 |
| Eurotunnel | 62,842,958 |
| Felixstowe | 62,023,010 |
| East Midlands Airport | 38,615,188 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | 122,018,590 | 151,272,648 | +29,254,058 |
| Immingham Docks | 48,446,944 | 56,009,895 | +7,562,951 |
| Eurotunnel | 25,434,288 | 37,408,670 | +11,974,382 |
| Felixstowe | 27,471,826 | 34,551,184 | +7,079,358 |
| East Midlands Airport | 19,692,633 | 18,922,555 | -770,078 |
| Birmingham Airport | 16,512,294 | 18,146,688 | +1,634,394 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 16,507,881 | 16,652,325 | +144,444 |
| ZLC | 13,395,077 | 14,877,231 | +1,482,154 |
| Harwich | 11,612,481 | 14,052,987 | +2,440,506 |
| London | 9,307,769 | 16,284,957 | +6,977,188 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
| Manufacture of food products | 600 |
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 555 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 245 |
| Food and beverage service activities | 172 |
| Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. | 161 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 386 |
| 2025-11 | 443 |
| 2025-10 | 468 |
| 2025-09 | 410 |
| 2025-08 | 411 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| ITW LIMITED | 120 |
| URSCHEL INTERNATIONAL LIMITED | 120 |
| AFE GROUP LIMITED | 119 |
| REISER (UK) LTD. | 119 |
| NISBETS LIMITED | 118 |
| JESTIC LIMITED | 115 |
| MCCAIN FOODS (G.B.) LIMITED | 114 |
| HEAT AND CONTROL PTY LIMITED | 112 |
| BUNN LIMITED | 111 |
| BÜHLER UK LIMITED | 109 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 813 |
| 54m+ | 548 |
| 0-1m | 428 |
| 15m-54m | 236 |
| Other | 152 |
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 | 95,820,541 |
| Netherlands | 29,064,885 |
| Ireland | 26,092,649 |
| Germany | 23,269,720 |
| Canada | 21,598,917 |
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 | 55,387,393 | 40,433,148 | -14,954,245 |
| Netherlands | 14,214,074 | 14,850,811 | +636,737 |
| Ireland | 13,782,764 | 12,309,885 | -1,472,879 |
| Germany | 10,387,913 | 12,881,807 | +2,493,894 |
| Canada | 10,264,838 | 11,334,079 | +1,069,241 |
| South Africa | 12,559,449 | 6,634,421 | -5,925,028 |
| Saudi Arabia | 9,412,206 | 7,624,859 | -1,787,347 |
| Spain | 3,730,783 | 12,372,070 | +8,641,287 |
| Mexico | 10,377,276 | 4,108,717 | -6,268,559 |
| France | 5,797,109 | 8,661,230 | +2,864,121 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| United States | 1,516,030 |
| XI | 395,835 |
| France | 199,236 |
| Italy | 187,899 |
| Ireland | 35,238 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 829,429 | 686,601 | -142,828 |
| XI | 342,499 | 53,336 | -289,163 |
| France | 137,047 | 62,189 | -74,858 |
| Italy | 87,743 | 100,156 | +12,413 |
| Ireland | 0 | 35,238 | +35,238 |
| China | 2,489 | 15,024 | +12,535 |
| New Zealand | 7,026 | 5,055 | -1,971 |
| Spain | 1,803 | 0 | -1,803 |
| Germany | 1 | 1,454 | +1,453 |
| Poland | 2 | 5 | +3 |
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) | 202,832,998 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 173,559,342 |
| Air transport | 102,407,074 |
| Other | 2,852,212 |
| Road transport | 382,193 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 127,574,731 | 75,258,267 | -52,316,464 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 77,273,620 | 96,285,722 | +19,012,102 |
| Air transport | 54,162,696 | 48,244,378 | -5,918,318 |
| Other | 1,461,385 | 1,390,827 | -70,558 |
| Road transport | 379,661 | 2,532 | -377,129 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 107,638,941 |
| London Gateway Port | 80,932,010 |
| Felixstowe | 43,565,313 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 38,176,747 |
| Southampton | 36,857,523 |
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 | 50,971,000 | 56,667,941 | +5,696,941 |
| London Gateway Port | 58,366,312 | 22,565,698 | -35,800,614 |
| Felixstowe | 32,609,139 | 10,956,174 | -21,652,965 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 20,290,329 | 17,886,418 | -2,403,911 |
| Southampton | 15,997,804 | 20,859,719 | +4,861,915 |
| Liverpool Docks | 16,113,864 | 15,881,573 | -232,291 |
| East Midlands Airport | 16,433,059 | 12,835,923 | -3,597,136 |
| Immingham Docks | 10,420,167 | 13,587,027 | +3,166,860 |
| Dover | 5,904,652 | 9,731,567 | +3,826,915 |
| London Stansted Airport | 6,954,975 | 6,348,304 | -606,671 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
- 843810 – Bakery and pasta-making machines
- 843820 – Candy and chocolate-making machines
- 843830 – Sugar production machines
- 843840 – Brewery machines
- 843850 – Meat and poultry processing machines
- 843860 – Fruit, nut, and vegetable processing machines
- 843880 – Various food and drink preparation machines
- 843890 – Parts for food and drink machines
Quick facts
HS code: 8438
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Industrial machines used to prepare or manufacture food and drinks, excluding those for extracting oils or fats