Import/export HS code 121221: Food-grade products
Products fit for human consumption, such as edible plants and algae
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 | 7,191,804 |
| South Korea | 4,421,334 |
| United States | 1,396,800 |
| Iceland | 1,170,720 |
| Japan | 993,767 |
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 | 2,880,346 | 4,311,458 | +1,431,112 |
| South Korea | 2,646,536 | 1,774,798 | -871,738 |
| United States | 389,938 | 1,006,862 | +616,924 |
| Iceland | 630,979 | 539,741 | -91,238 |
| Japan | 606,427 | 387,340 | -219,087 |
| Philippines | 270,176 | 571,955 | +301,779 |
| Taiwan | 788,099 | 41,562 | -746,537 |
| Ireland | 272,277 | 284,729 | +12,452 |
| Australia | 290,889 | 197,780 | -93,109 |
| Belgium | 199,673 | 245,638 | +45,965 |
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 | 7,434,102 |
| South Korea | 4,849,600 |
| United States | 1,321,230 |
| Iceland | 1,170,889 |
| Japan | 1,041,787 |
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 | 3,070,068 | 4,364,034 | +1,293,966 |
| South Korea | 2,836,393 | 2,013,207 | -823,186 |
| United States | 378,128 | 943,102 | +564,974 |
| Iceland | 631,148 | 539,741 | -91,407 |
| Japan | 623,206 | 418,581 | -204,625 |
| Philippines | 347,342 | 686,827 | +339,485 |
| Taiwan | 792,076 | 39,662 | -752,414 |
| Australia | 290,889 | 197,780 | -93,109 |
| Ireland | 192,088 | 191,594 | -494 |
| France | 196,972 | 91,899 | -105,073 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Outer London - West and North West | 13 |
| Inner London - East | 12 |
| Inner London - West | 8 |
| Outer London - South | 8 |
| Outer London - East and North East | 7 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outer London - West and North West | 12 | 9 | -3 |
| Inner London - East | 11 | 10 | -1 |
| Inner London - West | 7 | 6 | -1 |
| Outer London - South | 7 | 8 | +1 |
| Outer London - East and North East | 4 | 7 | +3 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 5 | 3 | -2 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 4 | 4 | +0 |
| Essex | 4 | 4 | +0 |
| Kent | 4 | 3 | -1 |
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | 3 | 2 | -1 |
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) | 15,289,547 |
| Air transport | 3,040,908 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,924,146 |
| Other | 625,270 |
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) | 7,247,207 | 8,042,340 | +795,133 |
| Air transport | 1,531,137 | 1,509,771 | -21,366 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,294,725 | 629,421 | -665,304 |
| Other | 389,757 | 235,513 | -154,244 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Southampton | 7,405,473 |
| Felixstowe | 4,697,350 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 2,205,147 |
| Sharpness Docks | 1,101,120 |
| Liverpool Docks | 991,447 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southampton | 3,881,261 | 3,524,212 | -357,049 |
| Felixstowe | 1,814,961 | 2,882,389 | +1,067,428 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 1,100,911 | 1,104,236 | +3,325 |
| Sharpness Docks | 599,479 | 501,641 | -97,838 |
| Liverpool Docks | 451,073 | 540,374 | +89,301 |
| London | 433,543 | 326,227 | -107,316 |
| 000 | 389,757 | 235,513 | -154,244 |
| Immingham Docks | 238,309 | 108,141 | -130,168 |
| Poole | 339,300 | 0 | -339,300 |
| Holyhead | 156,900 | 153,378 | -3,522 |
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 | 69 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 29 |
| Manufacture of food products | 16 |
| Food and beverage service activities | 8 |
| Office administrative, office support and other business support activities | 4 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-04 | 31 |
| 2026-03 | 27 |
| 2026-02 | 30 |
| 2026-01 | 21 |
| 2025-12 | 29 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| TAZAKI FOODS LIMITED | 122 |
| H MART EUROPE LIMITED | 117 |
| INTERLINK DIRECT LIMITED | 116 |
| KOREA FOODS COMPANY LIMITED | 104 |
| JFC (UK) LIMITED | 88 |
| CAMBRIDGE COMMODITIES LIMITED | 69 |
| COSTCO WHOLESALE UK LIMITED | 66 |
| NEW WORLD IMPORTS (UK) LTD | 58 |
| THE BASIC INGREDIENTS LTD | 55 |
| FORTUNE FOODS UK LTD | 50 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 61 |
| 54m+ | 21 |
| 15m-54m | 20 |
| 0-1m | 11 |
| Other | 4 |
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 | 4,598,649 |
| Netherlands | 758,052 |
| Russia | 727,960 |
| Germany | 534,297 |
| Kenya | 509,089 |
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 | 2,859,282 | 1,739,367 | -1,119,915 |
| Netherlands | 359,886 | 398,166 | +38,280 |
| Russia | 395,062 | 332,898 | -62,164 |
| Germany | 327,347 | 206,950 | -120,397 |
| Kenya | 162,808 | 346,281 | +183,473 |
| France | 123,353 | 370,524 | +247,171 |
| Denmark | 158,102 | 164,418 | +6,316 |
| Pakistan | 203,324 | 107,195 | -96,129 |
| Sweden | 197,590 | 81,029 | -116,561 |
| Ireland | 163,836 | 107,595 | -56,241 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Ireland | 396 |
| Nicaragua | 150 |
| Japan | 149 |
| South Korea | 86 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 0 | 396 | +396 |
| Nicaragua | 150 | 0 | -150 |
| Japan | 0 | 149 | +149 |
| South Korea | 0 | 86 | +86 |
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) | 5,549,246 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 4,737,665 |
| Air transport | 2,006,364 |
| Road transport | 891 |
| Other | 781 |
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) | 2,775,857 | 2,773,389 | -2,468 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 2,634,468 | 2,103,197 | -531,271 |
| Air transport | 1,510,088 | 496,276 | -1,013,812 |
| Road transport | 891 | 0 | -891 |
| Other | 150 | 631 | +481 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Southampton | 3,738,747 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 3,244,759 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 1,331,948 |
| London Gateway Port | 1,197,486 |
| Immingham Docks | 570,204 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southampton | 1,924,264 | 1,814,483 | -109,781 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 1,814,963 | 1,429,796 | -385,167 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 1,041,761 | 290,187 | -751,574 |
| London Gateway Port | 598,571 | 598,915 | +344 |
| Immingham Docks | 364,813 | 205,391 | -159,422 |
| Dover | 188,904 | 209,394 | +20,490 |
| East Midlands Airport | 194,622 | 135,774 | -58,848 |
| Jersey | 0 | 214,385 | +214,385 |
| Holyhead | 98,691 | 74,973 | -23,718 |
| ZLC | 118,066 | 35,700 | -82,366 |
Quick facts
HS code: 121221
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Products fit for human consumption, such as edible plants and algae