Import/export HS code 8468: Machines and tools for soldering, welding, or brazing, including gas-operated tools
Includes all types of machines and tools used for joining or cutting metal, such as gas-operated tempering machines and handheld blowpipes
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| China | 8,106,349 |
| United States | 4,697,997 |
| Germany | 4,426,985 |
| Netherlands | 2,918,204 |
| Austria | 2,177,342 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 4,409,347 | 3,697,002 | -712,345 |
| United States | 2,556,570 | 2,141,427 | -415,143 |
| Germany | 1,447,151 | 2,979,834 | +1,532,683 |
| Netherlands | 1,894,072 | 1,024,132 | -869,940 |
| Austria | 1,324,826 | 852,516 | -472,310 |
| Italy | 957,687 | 824,446 | -133,241 |
| Japan | 1,534,408 | 16,102 | -1,518,306 |
| South Korea | 1,533,148 | 0 | -1,533,148 |
| France | 775,249 | 571,101 | -204,148 |
| Ireland | 736,442 | 450,452 | -285,990 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| China | 8,552,165 |
| United States | 5,572,747 |
| Germany | 4,306,219 |
| Austria | 1,940,047 |
| Japan | 1,915,187 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 4,679,427 | 3,872,738 | -806,689 |
| United States | 2,943,406 | 2,629,341 | -314,065 |
| Germany | 1,298,329 | 3,007,890 | +1,709,561 |
| Austria | 1,093,245 | 846,802 | -246,443 |
| Japan | 1,729,805 | 185,382 | -1,544,423 |
| Italy | 1,013,574 | 821,856 | -191,718 |
| South Korea | 1,533,148 | 2,902 | -1,530,246 |
| Netherlands | 1,055,985 | 451,602 | -604,383 |
| Spain | 43,994 | 819,715 | +775,721 |
| United Kingdom | 634,257 | 207,070 | -427,187 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| West Midlands | 32 |
| Greater Manchester | 26 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 23 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 23 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 18 |
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 | 22 | 24 | +2 |
| Greater Manchester | 19 | 15 | -4 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 11 | 21 | +10 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 22 | 10 | -12 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 15 | 10 | -5 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 14 | 12 | -2 |
| West Yorkshire | 15 | 9 | -6 |
| Inner London - West | 8 | 9 | +1 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 9 | 11 | +2 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 8 | 10 | +2 |
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) | 14,349,232 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 10,985,521 |
| Air transport | 9,114,521 |
| Other | 541,451 |
| Road transport | 26,401 |
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) | 9,967,855 | 4,381,377 | -5,586,478 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 4,719,690 | 6,265,831 | +1,546,141 |
| Air transport | 4,686,791 | 4,427,730 | -259,061 |
| Other | 399,078 | 142,373 | -256,705 |
| Road transport | 20,915 | 5,486 | -15,429 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Felixstowe | 4,681,351 |
| Dover | 4,595,560 |
| East Midlands Airport | 3,646,337 |
| Southampton | 3,607,732 |
| Eurotunnel | 2,134,375 |
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 | 2,637,596 | 2,043,755 | -593,841 |
| Dover | 1,553,801 | 3,041,759 | +1,487,958 |
| East Midlands Airport | 2,110,833 | 1,535,504 | -575,329 |
| Southampton | 2,649,545 | 958,187 | -1,691,358 |
| Eurotunnel | 1,004,005 | 1,130,370 | +126,365 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 1,115,789 | 946,753 | -169,036 |
| Immingham Docks | 1,000,903 | 968,862 | -32,041 |
| Tyne | 1,931,093 | 8,629 | -1,922,464 |
| London Gateway Port | 721,551 | 1,091,979 | +370,428 |
| Manchester Airport | 120,710 | 666,800 | +546,090 |
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 | 127 |
| Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment | 42 |
| Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. | 42 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 36 |
| Other manufacturing | 28 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 61 |
| 2025-11 | 61 |
| 2025-10 | 73 |
| 2025-09 | 67 |
| 2025-08 | 57 |
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 |
| BWE LIMITED | 109 |
| ROTHENBERGER (U.K.) LIMITED | 108 |
| WELDFAST (UK) LIMITED | 106 |
| PARWELD LIMITED | 92 |
| JACK SEALEY LIMITED | 70 |
| TOSOH QUARTZ, INC. | 65 |
| PROTO LABS, LIMITED | 65 |
| LINCOLN ELECTRIC (U.K.) LIMITED | 60 |
| SHERWEN ENGINEERING CO LIMITED | 55 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 185 |
| 54m+ | 114 |
| 15m-54m | 54 |
| 0-1m | 51 |
| Other | 30 |
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 | 16,271,468 |
| Italy | 4,898,961 |
| Hungary | 3,279,177 |
| Mexico | 2,900,516 |
| Ireland | 2,348,749 |
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 | 5,559,308 | 10,712,160 | +5,152,852 |
| Italy | 591,598 | 4,307,363 | +3,715,765 |
| Hungary | 3,126,840 | 152,337 | -2,974,503 |
| Mexico | 2,062,738 | 837,778 | -1,224,960 |
| Ireland | 1,093,637 | 1,255,112 | +161,475 |
| Germany | 1,178,998 | 702,509 | -476,489 |
| Netherlands | 940,227 | 698,120 | -242,107 |
| Poland | 591,147 | 766,149 | +175,002 |
| United Arab Emirates | 707,776 | 472,620 | -235,156 |
| Saudi Arabia | 630,838 | 518,100 | -112,738 |
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 | 37,601 |
| Taiwan | 6,659 |
| XI | 6,079 |
| Sweden | 5,788 |
| Italy | 3,727 |
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 | 18,795 | 18,806 | +11 |
| Taiwan | 3,929 | 2,730 | -1,199 |
| XI | 605 | 5,474 | +4,869 |
| Sweden | 3,014 | 2,774 | -240 |
| Italy | 2,037 | 1,690 | -347 |
| Ireland | 773 | 380 | -393 |
| India | 727 | 228 | -499 |
| Estonia | 641 | 0 | -641 |
| Hungary | 0 | 323 | +323 |
| France | 43 | 132 | +89 |
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 | 22,521,677 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 15,636,944 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 12,601,454 |
| Other | 79,213 |
| Road transport | 33,878 |
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 | 12,224,485 | 10,297,192 | -1,927,293 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 6,910,538 | 8,726,406 | +1,815,868 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 5,464,795 | 7,136,659 | +1,671,864 |
| Other | 38,998 | 40,215 | +1,217 |
| Road transport | 33,878 | 0 | -33,878 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 11,320,906 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 9,653,179 |
| East Midlands Airport | 4,683,418 |
| Liverpool Docks | 4,023,893 |
| London Gateway Port | 4,011,658 |
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 | 6,081,284 | 5,239,622 | -841,662 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 4,018,897 | 5,634,282 | +1,615,385 |
| East Midlands Airport | 2,405,950 | 2,277,468 | -128,482 |
| Liverpool Docks | 977,788 | 3,046,105 | +2,068,317 |
| London Gateway Port | 3,129,842 | 881,816 | -2,248,026 |
| Southampton | 195,118 | 3,540,895 | +3,345,777 |
| London Stansted Airport | 1,816,831 | 1,537,631 | -279,200 |
| Harwich | 1,994,610 | 80,830 | -1,913,780 |
| ZLC | 896,857 | 890,683 | -6,174 |
| Felixstowe | 343,423 | 919,417 | +575,994 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
Quick facts
HS code: 8468
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Includes all types of machines and tools used for joining or cutting metal, such as gas-operated tempering machines and handheld blowpipes