Import/export HS code 2208: Ethyl alcohol for drinks
Pure alcohol used in spirits, liqueurs, and other alcoholic drinks. Strength is less than 80% alcohol by volume
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| France | 360,871,384 |
| United States | 314,885,529 |
| Netherlands | 273,113,574 |
| Italy | 254,932,226 |
| Ireland | 177,912,394 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 185,167,624 | 175,703,760 | -9,463,864 |
| United States | 155,192,634 | 159,692,895 | +4,500,261 |
| Netherlands | 128,961,489 | 144,152,085 | +15,190,596 |
| Italy | 135,759,439 | 119,172,787 | -16,586,652 |
| Ireland | 95,435,377 | 82,477,017 | -12,958,360 |
| Belgium | 51,614,349 | 71,313,107 | +19,698,758 |
| Mexico | 46,690,108 | 58,039,003 | +11,348,895 |
| Spain | 46,472,248 | 46,558,710 | +86,462 |
| Germany | 33,926,510 | 37,378,346 | +3,451,836 |
| Sweden | 33,145,565 | 23,954,404 | -9,191,161 |
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 | 376,539,267 |
| France | 323,892,601 |
| Italy | 186,394,145 |
| Netherlands | 173,252,209 |
| Ireland | 157,516,667 |
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 | 189,332,427 | 187,206,840 | -2,125,587 |
| France | 159,033,121 | 164,859,480 | +5,826,359 |
| Italy | 98,734,862 | 87,659,283 | -11,075,579 |
| Netherlands | 82,764,101 | 90,488,108 | +7,724,007 |
| Ireland | 79,450,901 | 78,065,766 | -1,385,135 |
| Mexico | 66,359,607 | 76,479,095 | +10,119,488 |
| Germany | 44,146,173 | 49,417,321 | +5,271,148 |
| United Kingdom | 47,562,405 | 41,513,630 | -6,048,775 |
| Sweden | 41,447,044 | 21,010,083 | -20,436,961 |
| Belgium | 23,390,409 | 33,069,712 | +9,679,303 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 97 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 67 |
| Inner London - East | 61 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 35 |
| Outer London - East and North East | 34 |
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 | 75 | 75 | +0 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 58 | 54 | -4 |
| Inner London - East | 46 | 44 | -2 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 28 | 24 | -4 |
| Outer London - East and North East | 29 | 27 | -2 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 23 | 20 | -3 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 18 | 18 | +0 |
| Greater Manchester | 18 | 13 | -5 |
| Outer London - South | 18 | 18 | +0 |
| Kent | 15 | 16 | +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) | 939,998,173 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 520,683,671 |
| Other | 277,095,932 |
| Air transport | 127,720,184 |
| Own propulsion (e.g. imported vehicle driven across land boundary) | 80,941,291 |
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) | 477,452,180 | 462,545,993 | -14,906,187 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 258,798,251 | 261,885,420 | +3,087,169 |
| Other | 201,198,531 | 75,897,401 | -125,301,130 |
| Air transport | 61,794,453 | 65,925,731 | +4,131,278 |
| Own propulsion (e.g. imported vehicle driven across land boundary) | 0 | 80,941,291 | +80,941,291 |
| Road transport | 63,629 | 55,683,883 | +55,620,254 |
| Rail transport | 0 | 100,102 | +100,102 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| 000 | 277,095,932 |
| London | 248,476,107 |
| Immingham Docks | 188,506,890 |
| Liverpool Docks | 160,244,416 |
| 499 | 156,071,194 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 000 | 201,198,531 | 75,897,401 | -125,301,130 |
| London | 119,215,678 | 129,260,429 | +10,044,751 |
| Immingham Docks | 87,577,094 | 100,929,796 | +13,352,702 |
| Liverpool Docks | 85,505,950 | 74,738,466 | -10,767,484 |
| 499 | 7,836 | 156,063,358 | +156,055,522 |
| Dover | 57,234,867 | 67,476,250 | +10,241,383 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 61,776,214 | 59,282,257 | -2,493,957 |
| Hull | 53,697,550 | 45,964,334 | -7,733,216 |
| Coventry Airport | 47,521,925 | 47,319,658 | -202,267 |
| Southampton | 15,799,238 | 74,575,513 | +58,776,275 |
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 | 405 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 153 |
| Manufacture of beverages | 78 |
| Food and beverage service activities | 37 |
| Office administrative, office support and other business support activities | 24 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-04 | 178 |
| 2026-03 | 172 |
| 2026-02 | 148 |
| 2026-01 | 157 |
| 2025-12 | 193 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| DIAGEO SCOTLAND LIMITED | 124 |
| PERNOD RICARD UK LIMITED | 122 |
| GLEN GRANT LIMITED | 121 |
| KOREA FOODS COMPANY LIMITED | 117 |
| WILLIAM GRANT & SONS DISTILLERS LIMITED | 117 |
| AMATHUS DRINKS PLC | 115 |
| GALLO VINEYARDS INC | 115 |
| SAZERAC UK LIMITED | 114 |
| MARUSSIA BEVERAGES UK LIMITED | 113 |
| SCOTCH WHISKY AUCTIONS LIMITED | 112 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 263 |
| 0-1m | 161 |
| 54m+ | 122 |
| 15m-54m | 73 |
| Other | 39 |
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 | 2,515,850,381 |
| France | 912,895,494 |
| Singapore | 609,861,380 |
| India | 564,083,204 |
| Germany | 528,787,098 |
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 | 1,320,432,694 | 1,195,417,687 | -125,015,007 |
| France | 486,275,943 | 426,619,551 | -59,656,392 |
| Singapore | 312,506,790 | 297,354,590 | -15,152,200 |
| India | 258,043,303 | 306,039,901 | +47,996,598 |
| Germany | 258,217,654 | 270,569,444 | +12,351,790 |
| Spain | 258,522,908 | 261,282,220 | +2,759,312 |
| Taiwan | 301,280,822 | 216,735,828 | -84,544,994 |
| Turkey | 244,831,537 | 269,844,208 | +25,012,671 |
| Japan | 190,260,902 | 167,216,330 | -23,044,572 |
| China | 166,870,402 | 175,980,974 | +9,110,572 |
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 | 90,759,305 |
| Ireland | 58,391,526 |
| Germany | 56,953,647 |
| Italy | 27,932,251 |
| Spain | 23,095,519 |
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 | 27,534,469 | 63,224,836 | +35,690,367 |
| Ireland | 31,856,221 | 26,535,305 | -5,320,916 |
| Germany | 36,159,758 | 20,793,889 | -15,365,869 |
| Italy | 19,500,029 | 8,432,222 | -11,067,807 |
| Spain | 15,091,017 | 8,004,502 | -7,086,515 |
| France | 9,072,555 | 4,766,574 | -4,305,981 |
| Romania | 5,786,688 | 3,399,844 | -2,386,844 |
| Denmark | 4,237,872 | 2,824,244 | -1,413,628 |
| Japan | 1,231,054 | 1,554,315 | +323,261 |
| Sweden | 1,454,570 | 777,105 | -677,465 |
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) | 11,696,448,816 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 632,255,158 |
| Road transport | 344,628,197 |
| Other | 298,581,562 |
| Air transport | 264,844,053 |
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) | 5,888,932,240 | 5,807,516,576 | -81,415,664 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 325,390,618 | 306,864,540 | -18,526,078 |
| Road transport | 170,299,971 | 174,328,226 | +4,028,255 |
| Other | 155,918,325 | 142,663,237 | -13,255,088 |
| Air transport | 153,522,606 | 111,321,447 | -42,201,159 |
| Rail transport | 272,393 | 118,706 | -153,687 |
| Own propulsion (e.g. imported vehicle driven across land boundary) | 76,676 | 207,301 | +130,625 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| ZLC | 10,943,296,173 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 373,762,692 |
| 000 | 298,581,562 |
| Middlesbrough | 278,320,625 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 268,863,266 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZLC | 5,477,690,235 | 5,465,605,938 | -12,084,297 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 210,769,501 | 162,993,191 | -47,776,310 |
| 000 | 155,918,325 | 142,663,237 | -13,255,088 |
| Middlesbrough | 155,624,653 | 122,695,972 | -32,928,681 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 126,392,721 | 142,470,545 | +16,077,824 |
| Southampton | 59,298,277 | 82,214,119 | +22,915,842 |
| London Gateway Port | 69,916,367 | 65,546,097 | -4,370,270 |
| Immingham Docks | 53,719,892 | 59,269,275 | +5,549,383 |
| Belfast Port | 71,158,273 | 41,207,608 | -29,950,665 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 62,621,025 | 45,295,725 | -17,325,300 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
Quick facts
HS code: 2208
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Pure alcohol used in spirits, liqueurs, and other alcoholic drinks. Strength is less than 80% alcohol by volume