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 | 1,508,593,389 |
| Germany | 991,754,909 |
| Belgium | 693,538,790 |
| France | 630,762,420 |
| Ireland | 582,015,042 |
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 | 760,566,566 | 748,026,823 | -12,539,743 |
| Germany | 459,893,387 | 531,861,522 | +71,968,135 |
| Belgium | 330,040,854 | 363,497,936 | +33,457,082 |
| France | 299,051,105 | 331,711,315 | +32,660,210 |
| Ireland | 282,506,965 | 299,508,077 | +17,001,112 |
| Spain | 235,064,915 | 316,503,951 | +81,439,036 |
| Italy | 260,396,594 | 277,856,072 | +17,459,478 |
| Denmark | 216,293,051 | 201,007,651 | -15,285,400 |
| Poland | 195,888,817 | 209,948,363 | +14,059,546 |
| United States | 131,830,371 | 141,431,263 | +9,600,892 |
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 | 1,170,046,520 |
| Netherlands | 1,022,310,233 |
| Italy | 631,394,887 |
| France | 614,805,145 |
| Spain | 584,226,919 |
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 | 565,628,454 | 604,418,066 | +38,789,612 |
| Netherlands | 518,061,030 | 504,249,203 | -13,811,827 |
| Italy | 301,177,688 | 330,217,199 | +29,039,511 |
| France | 287,251,857 | 327,553,288 | +40,301,431 |
| Spain | 246,848,198 | 337,378,721 | +90,530,523 |
| Belgium | 212,543,532 | 252,045,433 | +39,501,901 |
| Poland | 216,312,385 | 243,641,772 | +27,329,387 |
| Denmark | 218,473,882 | 205,547,062 | -12,926,820 |
| Ireland | 205,181,721 | 208,969,870 | +3,788,149 |
| United States | 144,903,832 | 150,528,519 | +5,624,687 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 368 |
| Inner London - East | 326 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 325 |
| Outer London - East and North East | 249 |
| Greater Manchester | 204 |
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 | 279 | 276 | -3 |
| Inner London - East | 243 | 256 | +13 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 249 | 271 | +22 |
| Outer London - East and North East | 187 | 200 | +13 |
| Greater Manchester | 171 | 126 | -45 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 138 | 132 | -6 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 144 | 133 | -11 |
| West Midlands | 124 | 111 | -13 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 107 | 109 | +2 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 100 | 95 | -5 |
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) | 5,203,283,547 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 2,791,541,046 |
| Other | 318,003,690 |
| Air transport | 287,476,631 |
| Road transport | 29,331,263 |
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) | 2,572,151,667 | 2,631,131,880 | +58,980,213 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,278,982,744 | 1,512,558,302 | +233,575,558 |
| Other | 160,445,985 | 157,557,705 | -2,888,280 |
| Air transport | 130,147,414 | 157,329,217 | +27,181,803 |
| Road transport | 12,028,143 | 17,303,120 | +5,274,977 |
| Rail transport | 369,808 | 270,274 | -99,534 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover | 1,465,201,934 |
| Immingham Docks | 1,361,117,108 |
| London | 765,758,709 |
| Eurotunnel | 676,112,205 |
| Felixstowe | 627,979,909 |
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 | 692,321,014 | 772,880,920 | +80,559,906 |
| Immingham Docks | 662,301,263 | 698,815,845 | +36,514,582 |
| London | 367,298,800 | 398,459,909 | +31,161,109 |
| Eurotunnel | 341,433,497 | 334,678,708 | -6,754,789 |
| Felixstowe | 326,657,031 | 301,322,878 | -25,334,153 |
| Liverpool Docks | 252,829,658 | 268,989,422 | +16,159,764 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 185,890,329 | 303,649,605 | +117,759,276 |
| Hull | 253,543,856 | 219,031,798 | -34,512,058 |
| London Gateway Port | 176,034,592 | 198,087,470 | +22,052,878 |
| Southampton | 166,785,993 | 185,736,063 | +18,950,070 |
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 | 1689 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 992 |
| Manufacture of food products | 622 |
| Food and beverage service activities | 455 |
| Office administrative, office support and other business support activities | 147 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-04 | 1257 |
| 2026-03 | 1232 |
| 2026-02 | 1159 |
| 2026-01 | 1149 |
| 2025-12 | 1229 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| NESTLE UK LTD. | 124 |
| ABF GRAIN PRODUCTS LIMITED | 124 |
| PETTY, WOOD & CO. LIMITED | 124 |
| WANIS LIMITED | 124 |
| W.WING YIP PLC | 124 |
| VITABIOTICS LIMITED | 124 |
| HOO HING HOLDINGS LIMITED | 124 |
| TAZAKI FOODS LIMITED | 124 |
| AB WORLD FOODS LIMITED | 124 |
| K.T.C. (EDIBLES) LIMITED | 124 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 1467 |
| 0-1m | 1267 |
| 54m+ | 536 |
| 15m-54m | 336 |
| Other | 229 |
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 | 772,840,682 |
| Netherlands | 478,760,679 |
| Germany | 400,816,819 |
| France | 388,656,788 |
| United States | 262,908,509 |
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 | 374,381,095 | 398,459,587 | +24,078,492 |
| Netherlands | 256,467,175 | 222,293,504 | -34,173,671 |
| Germany | 197,175,952 | 203,640,867 | +6,464,915 |
| France | 192,640,139 | 196,016,649 | +3,376,510 |
| United States | 117,964,726 | 144,943,783 | +26,979,057 |
| China | 109,804,231 | 114,568,766 | +4,764,535 |
| Spain | 61,377,200 | 74,716,850 | +13,339,650 |
| Australia | 65,243,064 | 66,885,499 | +1,642,435 |
| Sweden | 54,170,414 | 60,702,718 | +6,532,304 |
| United Arab Emirates | 48,968,357 | 55,158,812 | +6,190,455 |
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 | 109,718,698 |
| Ireland | 12,031,629 |
| Netherlands | 6,300,340 |
| France | 4,838,821 |
| Italy | 2,629,236 |
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 | 51,253,731 | 58,464,967 | +7,211,236 |
| Ireland | 6,073,045 | 5,958,584 | -114,461 |
| Netherlands | 3,417,413 | 2,882,927 | -534,486 |
| France | 2,937,335 | 1,901,486 | -1,035,849 |
| Italy | 1,437,089 | 1,192,147 | -244,942 |
| Poland | 1,154,064 | 966,169 | -187,895 |
| Belgium | 995,782 | 907,366 | -88,416 |
| Spain | 694,063 | 993,081 | +299,018 |
| Germany | 784,216 | 709,805 | -74,411 |
| Canada | 741,608 | 695,139 | -46,469 |
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) | 2,792,119,247 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,651,741,093 |
| Air transport | 268,394,787 |
| Other | 192,056,409 |
| 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) | 1,380,812,861 | 1,411,306,386 | +30,493,525 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 812,475,346 | 839,265,747 | +26,790,401 |
| Air transport | 129,896,593 | 138,498,194 | +8,601,601 |
| Other | 92,133,328 | 99,923,081 | +7,789,753 |
| Rail transport | 1,178,156 | 2,222,371 | +1,044,215 |
| Road transport | 84,816 | 12,220 | -72,596 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 1,383,517,794 |
| London Gateway Port | 584,425,962 |
| Liverpool Docks | 426,417,223 |
| Immingham Docks | 306,055,601 |
| Southampton | 304,946,602 |
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 | 658,918,927 | 724,598,867 | +65,679,940 |
| London Gateway Port | 243,142,074 | 341,283,888 | +98,141,814 |
| Liverpool Docks | 236,726,306 | 189,690,917 | -47,035,389 |
| Immingham Docks | 149,297,629 | 156,757,972 | +7,460,343 |
| Southampton | 147,639,360 | 157,307,242 | +9,667,882 |
| Dover | 146,533,114 | 103,066,855 | -43,466,259 |
| Holyhead | 113,583,859 | 133,547,146 | +19,963,287 |
| Felixstowe | 117,689,297 | 96,301,234 | -21,388,063 |
| 000 | 92,126,455 | 98,396,438 | +6,269,983 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 85,012,538 | 92,653,305 | +7,640,767 |
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