Import/export HS code 90: Optical and medical tools and devices
Includes all types of optical, photographic, medical, and precision tools, along with their parts and accessories
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | 6,407,941,266 |
| Germany | 5,630,329,371 |
| United States | 4,578,438,952 |
| China | 2,363,299,739 |
| France | 2,063,554,769 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 3,399,950,183 | 3,007,991,083 | -391,959,100 |
| Germany | 3,046,686,867 | 2,583,642,504 | -463,044,363 |
| United States | 2,542,147,053 | 2,036,291,899 | -505,855,154 |
| China | 1,231,979,185 | 1,131,320,554 | -100,658,631 |
| France | 1,103,164,849 | 960,389,920 | -142,774,929 |
| Ireland | 850,540,408 | 662,641,826 | -187,898,582 |
| Belgium | 798,955,150 | 694,829,193 | -104,125,957 |
| Italy | 556,387,071 | 558,351,641 | +1,964,570 |
| Switzerland | 398,108,876 | 334,102,275 | -64,006,601 |
| Poland | 338,365,534 | 369,550,840 | +31,185,306 |
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 | 8,412,371,431 |
| China | 3,804,765,378 |
| Germany | 3,491,792,641 |
| Ireland | 1,922,828,306 |
| United Kingdom | 1,720,138,936 |
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 | 4,517,743,018 | 3,894,628,413 | -623,114,605 |
| China | 1,940,399,233 | 1,864,366,145 | -76,033,088 |
| Germany | 1,890,702,756 | 1,601,089,885 | -289,612,871 |
| Ireland | 1,130,597,300 | 792,231,006 | -338,366,294 |
| United Kingdom | 970,838,176 | 749,300,760 | -221,537,416 |
| France | 691,490,093 | 596,794,964 | -94,695,129 |
| Japan | 603,208,911 | 501,087,490 | -102,121,421 |
| Mexico | 548,519,476 | 466,224,313 | -82,295,163 |
| Switzerland | 528,654,979 | 450,868,146 | -77,786,833 |
| Italy | 472,932,176 | 451,006,758 | -21,925,418 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 1829 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 1807 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 1248 |
| Greater Manchester | 1114 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 990 |
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 | 1387 | 1280 | -107 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 1480 | 1381 | -99 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 1019 | 969 | -50 |
| Greater Manchester | 885 | 809 | -76 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 780 | 765 | -15 |
| West Midlands | 769 | 712 | -57 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 793 | 749 | -44 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 743 | 699 | -44 |
| Inner London - East | 646 | 589 | -57 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 670 | 656 | -14 |
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 | 18,847,482,835 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 9,600,960,854 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 5,318,491,157 |
| Other | 672,676,532 |
| Road transport | 126,734,661 |
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 | 10,071,314,371 | 8,776,168,464 | -1,295,145,907 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 5,030,531,257 | 4,570,429,597 | -460,101,660 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 2,901,805,231 | 2,416,685,926 | -485,119,305 |
| Other | 414,737,302 | 257,939,230 | -156,798,072 |
| Road transport | 74,090,859 | 52,643,802 | -21,447,057 |
| Rail transport | 10,726,223 | 7,413,179 | -3,313,044 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| East Midlands Airport | 6,232,019,751 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 5,529,811,834 |
| London Stansted Airport | 3,839,822,368 |
| Dover | 2,738,550,312 |
| Eurotunnel | 2,728,795,360 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands Airport | 3,304,448,345 | 2,927,571,406 | -376,876,939 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 3,017,398,303 | 2,512,413,531 | -504,984,772 |
| London Stansted Airport | 2,039,236,349 | 1,800,586,019 | -238,650,330 |
| Dover | 1,353,791,339 | 1,384,758,973 | +30,967,634 |
| Eurotunnel | 1,391,328,295 | 1,337,467,065 | -53,861,230 |
| London Gateway Port | 844,732,838 | 699,956,423 | -144,776,415 |
| Birmingham Airport | 719,154,988 | 690,430,710 | -28,724,278 |
| Felixstowe | 724,470,132 | 580,724,648 | -143,745,484 |
| Thamesport | 539,480,955 | 420,592,262 | -118,888,693 |
| Southampton | 528,084,438 | 420,494,925 | -107,589,513 |
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 | 5053 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 3256 |
| Other manufacturing | 1547 |
| Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. | 1398 |
| Office administrative, office support and other business support activities | 1333 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 6746 |
| 2025-11 | 7252 |
| 2025-10 | 7569 |
| 2025-09 | 7117 |
| 2025-08 | 7145 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| STENA DRILLING LIMITED | 120 |
| MEDIQ HEALTHCARE UK LIMITED | 120 |
| MARSH BELLOFRAM EUROPE LIMITED | 120 |
| T.J.SMITH AND NEPHEW,LIMITED | 120 |
| REEVES WIRELINE TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED | 120 |
| HALFORDS LIMITED | 120 |
| AIR PRODUCTS PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY | 120 |
| EATON LIMITED | 120 |
| RELIANCE PRECISION LIMITED | 120 |
| MEGGER INSTRUMENTS LIMITED | 120 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 11406 |
| 0-1m | 5532 |
| 54m+ | 4974 |
| 15m-54m | 2088 |
| Other | 1517 |
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 | 6,623,720,333 |
| Germany | 4,193,016,082 |
| Netherlands | 2,370,043,473 |
| China | 1,519,556,077 |
| France | 1,492,802,445 |
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 | 3,773,914,419 | 2,849,805,914 | -924,108,505 |
| Germany | 2,259,256,275 | 1,933,759,807 | -325,496,468 |
| Netherlands | 1,347,880,696 | 1,022,162,777 | -325,717,919 |
| China | 822,432,497 | 697,123,580 | -125,308,917 |
| France | 793,818,652 | 698,983,793 | -94,834,859 |
| Belgium | 756,796,304 | 576,607,542 | -180,188,762 |
| Ireland | 672,589,046 | 530,097,982 | -142,491,064 |
| Italy | 427,741,201 | 342,335,555 | -85,405,646 |
| Japan | 431,813,479 | 302,444,345 | -129,369,134 |
| United Arab Emirates | 331,206,195 | 295,142,981 | -36,063,214 |
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 | 129,041,772 |
| China | 6,937,328 |
| United States | 5,848,873 |
| Germany | 3,726,027 |
| Poland | 1,960,377 |
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 | 78,216,320 | 50,825,452 | -27,390,868 |
| China | 3,801,245 | 3,136,083 | -665,162 |
| United States | 2,696,888 | 3,151,985 | +455,097 |
| Germany | 1,962,210 | 1,763,817 | -198,393 |
| Poland | 1,608,992 | 351,385 | -1,257,607 |
| Ireland | 306,326 | 1,581,585 | +1,275,259 |
| Afghanistan | 1,073,272 | 715,660 | -357,612 |
| Nicaragua | 1,149,842 | 513,188 | -636,654 |
| Netherlands | 656,914 | 623,218 | -33,696 |
| Denmark | 670,739 | 408,654 | -262,085 |
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 | 20,611,562,450 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 7,835,480,332 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 2,474,309,277 |
| Other | 181,758,056 |
| Road transport | 116,042,150 |
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 | 11,459,041,097 | 9,152,521,353 | -2,306,519,744 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 4,172,232,094 | 3,663,248,238 | -508,983,856 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,390,856,341 | 1,083,452,936 | -307,403,405 |
| Other | 107,213,996 | 74,544,060 | -32,669,936 |
| Road transport | 92,235,401 | 23,806,749 | -68,428,652 |
| Rail transport | 0 | 253,353 | +253,353 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 9,592,262,037 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 5,375,380,516 |
| East Midlands Airport | 4,759,874,241 |
| London Stansted Airport | 2,735,640,195 |
| ZLC | 1,665,764,887 |
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 | 5,318,754,436 | 4,273,507,601 | -1,045,246,835 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 2,842,580,349 | 2,532,800,167 | -309,780,182 |
| East Midlands Airport | 2,696,146,724 | 2,063,727,517 | -632,419,207 |
| London Stansted Airport | 1,475,513,362 | 1,260,126,833 | -215,386,529 |
| ZLC | 982,913,039 | 682,851,848 | -300,061,191 |
| Manchester Airport | 462,717,013 | 357,726,397 | -104,990,616 |
| Dover | 394,811,605 | 317,964,381 | -76,847,224 |
| London Gateway Port | 393,191,863 | 223,855,875 | -169,335,988 |
| Southampton | 255,659,991 | 344,519,613 | +88,859,622 |
| Holyhead | 320,055,118 | 260,849,678 | -59,205,440 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
- 9001 – Optical fibers, lenses, and related items
- 9002 – Optical parts for devices
- 9003 – Eyewear frames and parts
- 9004 – Corrective or protective glasses and goggles
- 9005 – Binoculars, telescopes, and astronomical tools
- 9006 – Cameras and flashlights for photography
- 9007 – Movie cameras and projectors
- 9008 – Image projectors and photo enlargers
- 9010 – Photo lab equipment and screens
- 9011 – Compound optical microscopes
- 9012 – Non-optical microscopes and diffraction devices
- 9013 – Lasers and optical devices
- 9014 – Compasses and navigation tools
- 9015 – Surveying and measuring tools
- 9016 – Precision balances
- 9017 – Drawing and measuring tools
- 9018 – Medical and dental tools
- 9019 – Therapy and medical devices
- 9020 – Breathing equipment and gas masks
- 9021 – Medical devices for bones and body support
- 9022 – X-ray and radiation equipment
- 9023 – Demonstration tools for education or exhibitions
- 9024 – Machines to test material strength
- 9025 – Measuring tools like thermometers, barometers, and hygrometers
- 9026 – Tools for measuring liquids or gases
- 9027 – Tools for testing and measuring physical or chemical properties
- 9028 – Meters for gas, liquid, or electricity
- 9029 – Counters and speed measuring devices
- 9030 – Electrical measuring instruments
- 9031 – Measuring tools and machines
- 9032 – Automatic control devices
- 9033 – Parts and accessories for machines and instruments
Quick facts
HS code: 90
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Includes all types of optical, photographic, medical, and precision tools, along with their parts and accessories