Import/export HS code 8481: Taps, valves, and similar devices for pipes and tanks
Includes pressure-reducing valves, thermostatic valves, and other similar appliances for controlling flow in pipes, boilers, or tanks
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 | 1,127,728,153 |
| United States | 1,095,106,887 |
| China | 994,368,807 |
| Italy | 669,028,388 |
| France | 439,684,535 |
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 | 594,462,327 | 533,265,826 | -61,196,501 |
| United States | 575,416,056 | 519,690,831 | -55,725,225 |
| China | 522,507,320 | 471,861,487 | -50,645,833 |
| Italy | 346,861,964 | 322,166,424 | -24,695,540 |
| France | 230,968,494 | 208,716,041 | -22,252,453 |
| Netherlands | 134,668,288 | 112,745,746 | -21,922,542 |
| Spain | 79,227,377 | 67,233,649 | -11,993,728 |
| India | 72,742,584 | 62,799,532 | -9,943,052 |
| Denmark | 62,486,112 | 53,436,709 | -9,049,403 |
| Switzerland | 50,764,845 | 45,555,328 | -5,209,517 |
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 | 1,459,421,877 |
| China | 1,095,597,573 |
| Germany | 766,790,689 |
| Italy | 664,057,037 |
| France | 369,280,858 |
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 | 763,909,978 | 695,511,899 | -68,398,079 |
| China | 580,049,727 | 515,547,846 | -64,501,881 |
| Germany | 420,638,567 | 346,152,122 | -74,486,445 |
| Italy | 351,286,493 | 312,770,544 | -38,515,949 |
| France | 188,654,114 | 180,626,744 | -8,027,370 |
| United Kingdom | 185,591,143 | 179,605,442 | -5,985,701 |
| India | 77,385,946 | 67,046,532 | -10,339,414 |
| Spain | 59,952,623 | 44,634,284 | -15,318,339 |
| Poland | 52,869,478 | 45,313,958 | -7,555,520 |
| Japan | 55,660,436 | 41,527,803 | -14,132,633 |
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 | 568 |
| West Midlands | 430 |
| Inner London - West | 428 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 399 |
| Greater Manchester | 392 |
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 | 458 | 434 | -24 |
| West Midlands | 337 | 309 | -28 |
| Inner London - West | 317 | 300 | -17 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 321 | 302 | -19 |
| Greater Manchester | 300 | 308 | +8 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 281 | 270 | -11 |
| West Yorkshire | 271 | 258 | -13 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 261 | 261 | +0 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 242 | 252 | +10 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 238 | 243 | +5 |
Import volume by transport
What this shows: Import value by transport mode used to bring goods into the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Air transport | 2,699,026,181 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,879,449,455 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,575,621,748 |
| Other | 135,824,142 |
| Road transport | 44,036,324 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air transport | 1,392,808,772 | 1,306,217,409 | -86,591,363 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 996,138,709 | 883,310,746 | -112,827,963 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 863,603,104 | 712,018,644 | -151,584,460 |
| Other | 79,579,467 | 56,244,675 | -23,334,792 |
| Road transport | 26,001,750 | 18,034,574 | -7,967,176 |
| Rail transport | 11,272,724 | 2,496,094 | -8,776,630 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover | 886,563,028 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 882,241,183 |
| East Midlands Airport | 713,486,754 |
| Felixstowe | 602,422,653 |
| London Stansted Airport | 505,467,850 |
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 | 452,913,534 | 433,649,494 | -19,264,040 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 458,121,759 | 424,119,424 | -34,002,335 |
| East Midlands Airport | 353,671,951 | 359,814,803 | +6,142,852 |
| Felixstowe | 335,215,425 | 267,207,228 | -68,008,197 |
| London Stansted Airport | 264,530,736 | 240,937,114 | -23,593,622 |
| Eurotunnel | 194,682,976 | 194,466,947 | -216,029 |
| Southampton | 162,615,231 | 129,400,095 | -33,215,136 |
| Birmingham Airport | 128,009,942 | 132,460,589 | +4,450,647 |
| London | 141,254,872 | 117,484,615 | -23,770,257 |
| London Gateway Port | 79,582,849 | 101,031,029 | +21,448,180 |
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 | 1974 |
| Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. | 966 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 622 |
| Other manufacturing | 539 |
| Repair and installation of machinery and equipment | 514 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2025-11 | 2439 |
| 2025-10 | 2618 |
| 2025-09 | 2451 |
| 2025-08 | 2448 |
| 2025-07 | 2637 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| STENA DRILLING LIMITED | 119 |
| CRANE LIMITED | 119 |
| AIR PRODUCTS PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY | 119 |
| EATON LIMITED | 119 |
| KOHLER MIRA LIMITED | 119 |
| FMC TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED | 119 |
| CRANE PROCESS FLOW TECHNOLOGIES LTD | 119 |
| SPIRAX-SARCO LIMITED | 119 |
| NORCROS GROUP (HOLDINGS) LIMITED | 119 |
| CUMMINS LTD. | 119 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 3992 |
| 54m+ | 2449 |
| 0-1m | 1204 |
| 15m-54m | 866 |
| Other | 566 |
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 | 906,212,550 |
| Germany | 509,748,971 |
| Norway | 373,341,481 |
| France | 342,226,471 |
| China | 275,166,985 |
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 | 490,554,894 | 415,657,656 | -74,897,238 |
| Germany | 253,878,545 | 255,870,426 | +1,991,881 |
| Norway | 196,790,500 | 176,550,981 | -20,239,519 |
| France | 186,779,840 | 155,446,631 | -31,333,209 |
| China | 150,141,170 | 125,025,815 | -25,115,355 |
| Italy | 104,737,218 | 107,951,915 | +3,214,697 |
| Ireland | 106,498,036 | 104,745,787 | -1,752,249 |
| United Arab Emirates | 93,897,471 | 102,182,801 | +8,285,330 |
| Netherlands | 97,761,496 | 97,765,752 | +4,256 |
| Angola | 97,169,567 | 62,451,965 | -34,717,602 |
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 | 13,368,428 |
| China | 8,380,316 |
| XU | 4,840,487 |
| Germany | 1,380,741 |
| Italy | 643,268 |
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 | 11,651,520 | 1,716,908 | -9,934,612 |
| China | 3,911,567 | 4,468,749 | +557,182 |
| XU | 2,186,108 | 2,654,379 | +468,271 |
| Germany | 850,299 | 530,442 | -319,857 |
| Italy | 317,064 | 326,204 | +9,140 |
| Lithuania | 229,338 | 362,283 | +132,945 |
| France | 204,375 | 214,281 | +9,906 |
| India | 162,130 | 46,198 | -115,932 |
| United States | 94,957 | 107,646 | +12,689 |
| Ireland | 112,456 | 58,580 | -53,876 |
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 | 3,252,854,535 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,286,371,771 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,256,262,154 |
| Other | 31,087,163 |
| Road transport | 11,769,984 |
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 | 1,731,935,304 | 1,520,919,231 | -211,016,073 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 641,073,676 | 645,298,095 | +4,224,419 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 663,087,147 | 593,175,007 | -69,912,140 |
| Other | 20,224,848 | 10,862,315 | -9,362,533 |
| Road transport | 11,633,750 | 136,234 | -11,497,516 |
| Rail transport | 0 | 126,400 | +126,400 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 1,447,954,729 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 898,142,680 |
| East Midlands Airport | 721,048,837 |
| London Stansted Airport | 462,490,590 |
| London Gateway Port | 388,074,534 |
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 | 794,329,783 | 653,624,946 | -140,704,837 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 456,663,774 | 441,478,906 | -15,184,868 |
| East Midlands Airport | 388,755,335 | 332,293,502 | -56,461,833 |
| London Stansted Airport | 234,297,652 | 228,192,938 | -6,104,714 |
| London Gateway Port | 212,871,177 | 175,203,357 | -37,667,820 |
| Aberdeen Docks | 186,943,006 | 191,093,793 | +4,150,787 |
| ZLC | 138,607,830 | 128,411,217 | -10,196,613 |
| Southampton | 77,579,905 | 88,407,951 | +10,828,046 |
| Manchester Airport | 79,516,034 | 81,288,882 | +1,772,848 |
| Immingham Docks | 73,984,564 | 78,383,809 | +4,399,245 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
Quick facts
HS code: 8481
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Includes pressure-reducing valves, thermostatic valves, and other similar appliances for controlling flow in pipes, boilers, or tanks