Import/export HS code 28: Inorganic Chemicals
Chemicals made from non-living materials, including compounds of precious metals, rare-earth metals, radioactive elements, or isotopes
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Germany | 584,880,548 |
| Netherlands | 426,029,389 |
| United States | 386,491,501 |
| China | 348,659,132 |
| Belgium | 317,380,466 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 292,210,432 | 292,670,116 | +459,684 |
| Netherlands | 191,246,416 | 234,782,973 | +43,536,557 |
| United States | 185,330,363 | 201,161,138 | +15,830,775 |
| China | 175,901,408 | 172,757,724 | -3,143,684 |
| Belgium | 168,997,063 | 148,383,403 | -20,613,660 |
| France | 145,435,679 | 146,299,938 | +864,259 |
| Ireland | 69,174,835 | 83,863,935 | +14,689,100 |
| Spain | 60,081,356 | 53,363,764 | -6,717,592 |
| Turkey | 58,634,528 | 52,395,603 | -6,238,925 |
| Israel | 60,084,280 | 42,732,284 | -17,351,996 |
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 | 527,030,523 |
| United States | 448,797,611 |
| China | 412,617,540 |
| Belgium | 215,363,716 |
| France | 201,233,197 |
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 | 260,982,099 | 266,048,424 | +5,066,325 |
| United States | 213,607,670 | 235,189,941 | +21,582,271 |
| China | 207,942,566 | 204,674,974 | -3,267,592 |
| Belgium | 108,694,119 | 106,669,597 | -2,024,522 |
| France | 96,587,544 | 104,645,653 | +8,058,109 |
| Netherlands | 89,571,942 | 88,517,462 | -1,054,480 |
| Turkey | 74,443,056 | 77,516,146 | +3,073,090 |
| Ireland | 52,492,988 | 62,154,525 | +9,661,537 |
| Spain | 61,100,560 | 52,402,151 | -8,698,409 |
| Algeria | 63,350,284 | 44,732,309 | -18,617,975 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester | 93 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 90 |
| Inner London - West | 79 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 68 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 63 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Manchester | 68 | 75 | +7 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 72 | 72 | +0 |
| Inner London - West | 60 | 60 | +0 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 58 | 53 | -5 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 47 | 54 | +7 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 49 | 47 | -2 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 46 | 47 | +1 |
| West Midlands | 39 | 41 | +2 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 35 | 39 | +4 |
| Cheshire | 37 | 40 | +3 |
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) | 2,089,419,627 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,216,353,178 |
| Air transport | 375,614,964 |
| Other | 225,620,954 |
| Road transport | 14,573,228 |
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) | 1,067,244,997 | 1,022,174,630 | -45,070,367 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 559,246,474 | 657,106,704 | +97,860,230 |
| Air transport | 175,124,574 | 200,490,390 | +25,365,816 |
| Other | 138,490,863 | 87,130,091 | -51,360,772 |
| Road transport | 9,742,816 | 4,830,412 | -4,912,404 |
| Rail transport | 44,612 | 40,904 | -3,708 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 528,515,720 |
| Middlesbrough | 376,652,645 |
| Southampton | 302,159,085 |
| Felixstowe | 300,870,607 |
| Dover | 280,478,918 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 231,287,437 | 297,228,283 | +65,940,846 |
| Middlesbrough | 194,854,540 | 181,798,105 | -13,056,435 |
| Southampton | 158,083,355 | 144,075,730 | -14,007,625 |
| Felixstowe | 159,173,679 | 141,696,928 | -17,476,751 |
| Dover | 116,816,548 | 163,662,370 | +46,845,822 |
| London | 130,486,942 | 109,185,980 | -21,300,962 |
| Liverpool Docks | 118,026,705 | 117,368,647 | -658,058 |
| 000 | 138,487,069 | 87,008,862 | -51,478,207 |
| Eurotunnel | 93,191,890 | 79,178,065 | -14,013,825 |
| London Gateway Port | 75,417,484 | 78,033,221 | +2,615,737 |
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 | 427 |
| Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products | 250 |
| Manufacture of food products | 106 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 106 |
| Other manufacturing | 96 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-04 | 453 |
| 2026-03 | 472 |
| 2026-02 | 459 |
| 2026-01 | 457 |
| 2025-12 | 401 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| JOHNSON MATTHEY PLC | 124 |
| COLORCON LIMITED | 124 |
| BIACHEM LIMITED | 124 |
| SIGMA-ALDRICH COMPANY LIMITED | 124 |
| AVOCADO RESEARCH CHEMICALS LIMITED | 124 |
| YARA UK LIMITED | 124 |
| LIFE TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED | 124 |
| B & M RETAIL LIMITED | 123 |
| 151 PRODUCTS LIMITED | 123 |
| IMCD UK LIMITED | 123 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 54m+ | 608 |
| 1m-15m | 490 |
| 15m-54m | 176 |
| Other | 110 |
| 0-1m | 101 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Belgium | 917,017,271 |
| Germany | 448,314,435 |
| United States | 418,011,594 |
| France | 404,718,716 |
| North Macedonia | 329,219,383 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 475,159,850 | 441,857,421 | -33,302,429 |
| Germany | 168,416,730 | 279,897,705 | +111,480,975 |
| United States | 251,860,930 | 166,150,664 | -85,710,266 |
| France | 179,946,112 | 224,772,604 | +44,826,492 |
| North Macedonia | 143,585,459 | 185,633,924 | +42,048,465 |
| Ireland | 92,380,585 | 86,634,803 | -5,745,782 |
| Netherlands | 67,065,110 | 55,724,574 | -11,340,536 |
| Switzerland | 52,234,844 | 32,953,782 | -19,281,062 |
| China | 44,258,600 | 30,510,664 | -13,747,936 |
| Poland | 19,909,992 | 44,476,104 | +24,566,112 |
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 | 9,995,581 |
| Morocco | 5,964,417 |
| France | 1,453,164 |
| Finland | 1,039,384 |
| Brazil | 888,198 |
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 | 4,601,923 | 5,393,658 | +791,735 |
| Morocco | 2,653,015 | 3,311,402 | +658,387 |
| France | 1,181,506 | 271,658 | -909,848 |
| Finland | 336,460 | 702,924 | +366,464 |
| Brazil | 328,559 | 559,639 | +231,080 |
| Mexico | 285,504 | 483,370 | +197,866 |
| Netherlands | 303,141 | 308,887 | +5,746 |
| Chile | 199,758 | 301,640 | +101,882 |
| Sweden | 285,642 | 182,463 | -103,179 |
| China | 190,310 | 219,813 | +29,503 |
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) | 2,370,961,891 |
| Air transport | 634,256,786 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 603,442,416 |
| Other | 33,393,827 |
| Road transport | 201,907 |
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) | 1,121,855,833 | 1,249,106,058 | +127,250,225 |
| Air transport | 267,439,440 | 366,817,346 | +99,377,906 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 396,978,047 | 206,464,369 | -190,513,678 |
| Other | 17,295,633 | 16,098,194 | -1,197,439 |
| Road transport | 188,474 | 13,433 | -175,041 |
| Rail transport | 0 | 2,394 | +2,394 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 1,607,802,244 |
| Southampton | 328,895,433 |
| Birmingham Airport | 321,046,594 |
| Hull | 302,343,668 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 229,170,687 |
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 | 721,126,310 | 886,675,934 | +165,549,624 |
| Southampton | 228,346,937 | 100,548,496 | -127,798,441 |
| Birmingham Airport | 140,472,716 | 180,573,878 | +40,101,162 |
| Hull | 207,219,547 | 95,124,121 | -112,095,426 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 88,852,678 | 140,318,009 | +51,465,331 |
| Immingham Docks | 77,605,952 | 90,144,492 | +12,538,540 |
| Dover | 44,939,999 | 82,823,142 | +37,883,143 |
| Liverpool Docks | 66,657,657 | 58,359,507 | -8,298,150 |
| London Gateway Port | 58,146,128 | 48,827,737 | -9,318,391 |
| Felixstowe | 24,854,764 | 20,119,905 | -4,734,859 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
- 2801 – Fluorine, Chlorine, Bromine, Iodine
- 2802 – Sulphur, refined or powdered
- 2803 – Carbon in various forms
- 2804 – Hydrogen, rare gases, and other non-metals
- 2805 – Alkali and rare-earth metals
- 2806 – Hydrogen chloride and chlorosulphuric acid
- 2807 – Sulphuric acid and oleum
- 2808 – Nitric acid and mixed acids
- 2809 – Phosphorus compounds for industry
- 2810 – Boron oxides and boric acids
- 2811 – Inorganic acids and oxygen compounds
- 2812 – Non-metal halides and halide oxides
- 2813 – Non-metal sulphides
- 2814 – Ammonia, in gas or liquid form
- 2815 – Strong cleaning chemicals
- 2816 – Hydroxide and peroxide of magnesium
- 2817 – Zinc oxide and zinc peroxide
- 2818 – Artificial corundum and aluminium compounds
- 2819 – Chromium oxides and hydroxides
- 2820 – Manganese oxides
- 2821 – Iron oxides and earth colours
- 2822 – Cobalt oxides and hydroxides
- 2823 – Titanium oxides
- 2824 – Lead oxides
- 2825 – Hydrazine, hydroxylamine, and inorganic bases
- 2826 – Fluorides and fluorine salts
- 2827 – Chlorides, bromides, and iodides
- 2828 – Hypochlorites and related chemicals
- 2829 – Chlorates, perchlorates, bromates, and iodates
- 2830 – Sulphides and polysulphides
- 2831 – Dithionites and sulphoxylates
- 2832 – Sulphites and thiosulphates
- 2833 – Sulphates, alums, and peroxosulphates
- 2834 – Nitrites and nitrates
- 2835 – Phosphinates, phosphonates, phosphates, and polyphosphates
- 2836 – Carbonates and related chemicals
- 2837 – Cyanides and related compounds
- 2839 – Silicates
- 2840 – Borates and peroxoborates
- 2841 – Salts of oxometallic or peroxometallic acids
- 2842 – Various salts of inorganic acids or peroxoacids
- 2843 – Colloidal precious metals and their compounds
- 2844 – Radioactive elements and isotopes
- 2845 – Isotopes and their compounds
- 2846 – Rare-earth metal compounds
- 2847 – Hydrogen peroxide, solid or liquid
- 2849 – Carbides, chemically defined or not
- 2850 – Chemical compounds like hydrides, nitrides, azides, silicides, and borides
- 2852 – Mercury compounds, inorganic or organic
- 2853 – Chemical compounds like phosphides and other inorganic substances
Quick facts
HS code: 28
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Chemicals made from non-living materials, including compounds of precious metals, rare-earth metals, radioactive elements, or isotopes