Import/export HS code 21: Miscellaneous food products
Various food items and preparations not classified elsewhere, including extracts, essences, and concentrates
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 | 1,434,773,593 |
| Germany | 952,089,584 |
| Belgium | 661,935,948 |
| France | 601,992,594 |
| Ireland | 567,501,887 |
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 | 765,637,272 | 669,136,321 | -96,500,951 |
| Germany | 466,856,722 | 485,232,862 | +18,376,140 |
| Belgium | 331,092,628 | 330,843,320 | -249,308 |
| France | 299,806,516 | 302,186,078 | +2,379,562 |
| Ireland | 287,528,835 | 279,973,052 | -7,555,783 |
| Spain | 243,072,107 | 289,832,525 | +46,760,418 |
| Italy | 258,646,799 | 259,057,657 | +410,858 |
| Denmark | 215,852,596 | 180,404,824 | -35,447,772 |
| Poland | 198,669,106 | 191,372,122 | -7,296,984 |
| United States | 135,777,947 | 128,298,272 | -7,479,675 |
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 | 1,119,147,358 |
| Netherlands | 967,458,133 |
| Italy | 607,771,280 |
| France | 591,908,216 |
| Spain | 564,581,690 |
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 | 579,743,604 | 539,403,754 | -40,339,850 |
| Netherlands | 514,569,711 | 452,888,422 | -61,681,289 |
| Italy | 299,515,199 | 308,256,081 | +8,740,882 |
| France | 291,587,697 | 300,320,519 | +8,732,822 |
| Spain | 254,262,713 | 310,318,977 | +56,056,264 |
| Belgium | 213,901,132 | 231,115,801 | +17,214,669 |
| Poland | 217,406,147 | 224,673,693 | +7,267,546 |
| Denmark | 218,747,977 | 183,820,324 | -34,927,653 |
| Ireland | 204,909,306 | 196,678,478 | -8,230,828 |
| United States | 147,662,772 | 137,492,690 | -10,170,082 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 357 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 319 |
| Inner London - East | 316 |
| Outer London - East and North East | 241 |
| Greater Manchester | 201 |
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 | 274 | 272 | -2 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 247 | 265 | +18 |
| Inner London - East | 246 | 243 | -3 |
| Outer London - East and North East | 184 | 194 | +10 |
| Greater Manchester | 164 | 128 | -36 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 138 | 134 | -4 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 143 | 136 | -7 |
| West Midlands | 124 | 111 | -13 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 105 | 105 | +0 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 101 | 90 | -11 |
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) | 4,961,913,813 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 2,712,705,591 |
| Other | 297,783,616 |
| Air transport | 276,143,446 |
| Road transport | 29,350,650 |
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) | 2,577,093,438 | 2,384,820,375 | -192,273,063 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,305,803,799 | 1,406,901,792 | +101,097,993 |
| Other | 163,017,052 | 134,766,564 | -28,250,488 |
| Air transport | 130,816,628 | 145,326,818 | +14,510,190 |
| Road transport | 13,575,824 | 15,774,826 | +2,199,002 |
| Rail transport | 411,677 | 232,414 | -179,263 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover | 1,396,780,703 |
| Immingham Docks | 1,306,652,872 |
| London | 733,959,230 |
| Eurotunnel | 640,957,965 |
| Felixstowe | 587,520,800 |
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 | 684,434,665 | 712,346,038 | +27,911,373 |
| Immingham Docks | 682,019,239 | 624,633,633 | -57,385,606 |
| London | 374,921,401 | 359,037,829 | -15,883,572 |
| Eurotunnel | 344,997,269 | 295,960,696 | -49,036,573 |
| Felixstowe | 316,411,156 | 271,109,644 | -45,301,512 |
| Liverpool Docks | 255,353,403 | 249,312,859 | -6,040,544 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 207,963,824 | 288,250,635 | +80,286,811 |
| Hull | 244,185,452 | 198,173,842 | -46,011,610 |
| London Gateway Port | 174,821,465 | 193,183,189 | +18,361,724 |
| Southampton | 172,917,031 | 170,758,261 | -2,158,770 |
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
|
1674 |
|
Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles
|
971 |
|
Manufacture of food products
|
617 |
|
Food and beverage service activities
|
446 |
|
Office administrative, office support and other business support activities
|
143 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-05 | 1271 |
| 2026-04 | 1258 |
| 2026-03 | 1233 |
| 2026-02 | 1159 |
| 2026-01 | 1149 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| NESTLE UK LTD. | 125 |
| ABF GRAIN PRODUCTS LIMITED | 125 |
| PETTY, WOOD & CO. LIMITED | 125 |
| WANIS LIMITED | 125 |
| W.WING YIP PLC | 125 |
| VITABIOTICS LIMITED | 125 |
| HOO HING HOLDINGS LIMITED | 125 |
| TAZAKI FOODS LIMITED | 125 |
| AB WORLD FOODS LIMITED | 125 |
| K.T.C. (EDIBLES) LIMITED | 125 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 1438 |
| 0-1m | 1235 |
| 54m+ | 527 |
| 15m-54m | 334 |
| Other | 231 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Ireland | 742,719,686 |
| Netherlands | 455,132,183 |
| Germany | 385,738,124 |
| France | 371,452,453 |
| United States | 254,979,780 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 381,417,909 | 361,301,777 | -20,116,132 |
| Netherlands | 248,282,279 | 206,849,904 | -41,432,375 |
| Germany | 198,666,840 | 187,071,284 | -11,595,556 |
| France | 197,720,162 | 173,732,291 | -23,987,871 |
| United States | 121,587,510 | 133,392,270 | +11,804,760 |
| China | 109,667,736 | 107,265,644 | -2,402,092 |
| Spain | 63,331,494 | 67,451,664 | +4,120,170 |
| Australia | 63,824,443 | 63,494,719 | -329,724 |
| Sweden | 55,490,710 | 55,499,666 | +8,956 |
| United Arab Emirates | 47,501,535 | 51,086,141 | +3,584,606 |
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 | 105,984,702 |
| Ireland | 11,538,328 |
| Netherlands | 5,932,772 |
| France | 4,226,742 |
| Italy | 2,504,321 |
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 | 51,453,244 | 54,531,458 | +3,078,214 |
| Ireland | 6,150,313 | 5,388,015 | -762,298 |
| Netherlands | 3,284,913 | 2,647,859 | -637,054 |
| France | 2,808,321 | 1,418,421 | -1,389,900 |
| Italy | 1,405,843 | 1,098,478 | -307,365 |
| Poland | 1,162,979 | 844,519 | -318,460 |
| Belgium | 995,259 | 789,364 | -205,895 |
| Spain | 825,040 | 921,262 | +96,222 |
| Germany | 762,392 | 653,179 | -109,213 |
| Canada | 719,848 | 653,257 | -66,591 |
Export volume by transport
What this shows: Export value by transport mode used to ship goods from the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 2,677,507,158 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,592,503,368 |
| Air transport | 258,792,794 |
| Other | 184,669,318 |
| Rail transport | 3,400,527 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,389,001,159 | 1,288,505,999 | -100,495,160 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 816,067,508 | 776,435,860 | -39,631,648 |
| Air transport | 129,716,075 | 129,076,719 | -639,356 |
| Other | 92,007,134 | 92,662,184 | +655,050 |
| Rail transport | 1,178,156 | 2,222,371 | +1,044,215 |
| Road transport | 35,320 | 6,346 | -28,974 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 1,330,433,671 |
| London Gateway Port | 580,744,605 |
| Liverpool Docks | 395,781,189 |
| Southampton | 296,145,549 |
| Immingham Docks | 295,457,846 |
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 | 669,484,977 | 660,948,694 | -8,536,283 |
| London Gateway Port | 253,647,902 | 327,096,703 | +73,448,801 |
| Liverpool Docks | 224,838,619 | 170,942,570 | -53,896,049 |
| Southampton | 156,549,744 | 139,595,805 | -16,953,939 |
| Immingham Docks | 147,516,843 | 147,941,003 | +424,160 |
| Holyhead | 115,198,537 | 124,544,355 | +9,345,818 |
| Dover | 133,157,918 | 95,125,630 | -38,032,288 |
| Felixstowe | 115,141,380 | 87,173,079 | -27,968,301 |
| 000 | 92,000,243 | 90,924,478 | -1,075,765 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 83,508,387 | 88,243,489 | +4,735,102 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
Quick facts
HS code: 21
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Various food items and preparations not classified elsewhere, including extracts, essences, and concentrates