Import/export HS code 280421: Argon
A rare gas used in welding, lighting, and as a protective atmosphere in industrial processes
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 | 19,055,487 |
| Belgium | 4,993,520 |
| Germany | 4,553,457 |
| France | 1,380,841 |
| Ireland | 584,086 |
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 | 9,844,836 | 9,210,651 | -634,185 |
| Belgium | 2,059,003 | 2,934,517 | +875,514 |
| Germany | 1,219,707 | 3,333,750 | +2,114,043 |
| France | 893,805 | 487,036 | -406,769 |
| Ireland | 117,596 | 466,490 | +348,894 |
| Austria | 139,270 | 163,896 | +24,626 |
| Italy | 80,905 | 84,377 | +3,472 |
| China | 70,717 | 90,172 | +19,455 |
| Hungary | 20,516 | 9,892 | -10,624 |
| Poland | 7,489 | 14,070 | +6,581 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | 16,639,604 |
| Belgium | 5,266,763 |
| Germany | 3,088,233 |
| France | 1,131,527 |
| Austria | 303,166 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 8,331,010 | 8,308,594 | -22,416 |
| Belgium | 2,290,088 | 2,976,675 | +686,587 |
| Germany | 926,396 | 2,161,837 | +1,235,441 |
| France | 691,699 | 439,828 | -251,871 |
| Austria | 139,270 | 163,896 | +24,626 |
| China | 72,133 | 121,488 | +49,355 |
| Italy | 53,011 | 69,561 | +16,550 |
| Hungary | 20,516 | 9,892 | -10,624 |
| Russia | 29,705 | 0 | -29,705 |
| Poland | 7,489 | 14,070 | +6,581 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 3 |
| Inner London - East | 2 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 2 |
| East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire | 1 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 3 | 1 | -2 |
| Inner London - East | 2 | 0 | -2 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 0 | 1 | +1 |
| Northern Ireland | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset | 0 | 1 | +1 |
| Outer London - South | 0 | 1 | +1 |
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) | 16,014,562 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 10,782,681 |
| Other | 4,424,974 |
| Air transport | 43,056 |
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) | 9,003,267 | 7,011,295 | -1,991,972 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 3,553,750 | 7,228,931 | +3,675,181 |
| Other | 1,898,334 | 2,526,640 | +628,306 |
| Air transport | 10,949 | 32,107 | +21,158 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 22,994,315 |
| 000 | 4,424,974 |
| Eurotunnel | 1,650,770 |
| London | 1,147,795 |
| Dover | 402,453 |
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 | 11,015,437 | 11,978,878 | +963,441 |
| 000 | 1,898,334 | 2,526,640 | +628,306 |
| Eurotunnel | 361,986 | 1,288,784 | +926,798 |
| London | 683,440 | 464,355 | -219,085 |
| Dover | 209,714 | 192,739 | -16,975 |
| Middlesbrough | 115,591 | 133,566 | +17,975 |
| Felixstowe | 32,680 | 84,629 | +51,949 |
| London Gateway Port | 45,607 | 28,766 | -16,841 |
| Harwich | 34,664 | 18,741 | -15,923 |
| Southampton | 40,960 | 0 | -40,960 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
|
Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products
|
3 |
|
Activities of head offices; management consultancy activities
|
2 |
|
Other manufacturing
|
2 |
|
Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles
|
2 |
|
Extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas
|
1 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-05 | 3 |
| 2026-04 | 4 |
| 2026-03 | 2 |
| 2026-02 | 5 |
| 2026-01 | 3 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 54m+ | 7 |
| Other | 3 |
| 1m-15m | 2 |
| 15m-54m | 1 |
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 | 7,392,461 |
| China | 190,190 |
| Spain | 118,699 |
| Angola | 43,916 |
| Guyana | 37,078 |
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 | 3,982,692 | 3,409,769 | -572,923 |
| China | 0 | 190,190 | +190,190 |
| Spain | 80,734 | 37,965 | -42,769 |
| Angola | 16,704 | 27,212 | +10,508 |
| Guyana | 6,501 | 30,577 | +24,076 |
| Italy | 16,593 | 11,439 | -5,154 |
| Libya | 0 | 25,019 | +25,019 |
| Netherlands | 16,200 | 5,743 | -10,457 |
| Poland | 14,673 | 3,530 | -11,143 |
| Malta | 0 | 13,360 | +13,360 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Belgium | 18,660 |
| Spain | 2,329 |
| Germany | 1,624 |
| South Korea | 262 |
| Italy | 173 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 0 | 18,660 | +18,660 |
| Spain | 844 | 1,485 | +641 |
| Germany | 1,624 | 0 | -1,624 |
| South Korea | 0 | 262 | +262 |
| Italy | 25 | 148 | +123 |
| XI | 0 | 134 | +134 |
| China | 0 | 131 | +131 |
| Japan | 0 | 124 | +124 |
| Turkey | 0 | 117 | +117 |
| Indonesia | 0 | 103 | +103 |
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) | 7,503,033 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 323,660 |
| Other | 123,137 |
| Air transport | 1,119 |
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) | 4,052,530 | 3,450,503 | -602,027 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 55,354 | 268,306 | +212,952 |
| Other | 62,692 | 60,445 | -2,247 |
| Air transport | 0 | 1,119 | +1,119 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Liverpool Docks | 7,225,717 |
| Felixstowe | 208,275 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 124,329 |
| 000 | 123,137 |
| Portsmouth | 54,504 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool Docks | 3,917,578 | 3,308,139 | -609,439 |
| Felixstowe | 5,610 | 202,665 | +197,055 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 66,286 | 58,043 | -8,243 |
| 000 | 62,692 | 60,445 | -2,247 |
| Portsmouth | 54,504 | 0 | -54,504 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 27,716 | 24,486 | -3,230 |
| London Gateway Port | 7,204 | 39,134 | +31,930 |
| Heysham | 2,422 | 32,425 | +30,003 |
| Immingham Docks | 1,808 | 12,963 | +11,155 |
| London | 0 | 13,226 | +13,226 |
Quick facts
HS code: 280421
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: A rare gas used in welding, lighting, and as a protective atmosphere in industrial processes