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 | 19,757,384 |
| Belgium | 5,222,814 |
| Germany | 4,597,989 |
| France | 1,569,056 |
| Ireland | 618,268 |
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 | 9,746,755 | 10,010,629 | +263,874 |
| Belgium | 2,031,202 | 3,191,612 | +1,160,410 |
| Germany | 1,241,597 | 3,356,392 | +2,114,795 |
| France | 914,459 | 654,597 | -259,862 |
| Ireland | 159,332 | 458,936 | +299,604 |
| Austria | 141,396 | 185,958 | +44,562 |
| Italy | 135,543 | 96,481 | -39,062 |
| China | 70,717 | 53,467 | -17,250 |
| Hungary | 10,473 | 19,935 | +9,462 |
| Poland | 16,977 | 10,066 | -6,911 |
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 | 17,370,661 |
| Belgium | 5,539,669 |
| Germany | 3,124,586 |
| France | 1,239,066 |
| Austria | 327,354 |
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 | 8,230,276 | 9,140,385 | +910,109 |
| Belgium | 2,310,078 | 3,229,591 | +919,513 |
| Germany | 933,050 | 2,191,536 | +1,258,486 |
| France | 666,799 | 572,267 | -94,532 |
| Austria | 141,396 | 185,958 | +44,562 |
| Italy | 108,702 | 93,502 | -15,200 |
| China | 72,133 | 79,174 | +7,041 |
| United Kingdom | 46,419 | 8,084 | -38,335 |
| Hungary | 10,473 | 19,935 | +9,462 |
| Russia | 29,705 | 0 | -29,705 |
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 | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| 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) | 17,671,107 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 10,381,250 |
| Other | 4,395,742 |
| Air transport | 73,867 |
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) | 10,094,185 | 7,576,922 | -2,517,263 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 2,457,249 | 7,924,001 | +5,466,752 |
| Other | 1,882,330 | 2,513,412 | +631,082 |
| Air transport | 41,565 | 32,302 | -9,263 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 24,134,447 |
| 000 | 4,395,742 |
| Eurotunnel | 1,635,599 |
| London | 1,286,524 |
| Dover | 406,662 |
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 | 10,978,971 | 13,155,476 | +2,176,505 |
| 000 | 1,882,330 | 2,513,412 | +631,082 |
| Eurotunnel | 404,490 | 1,231,109 | +826,619 |
| London | 715,749 | 570,775 | -144,974 |
| Dover | 141,954 | 264,708 | +122,754 |
| Middlesbrough | 98,691 | 137,304 | +38,613 |
| Felixstowe | 32,680 | 53,467 | +20,787 |
| London Gateway Port | 44,554 | 24,334 | -20,220 |
| East Midlands Airport | 38,651 | 19,464 | -19,187 |
| Harwich | 37,065 | 20,833 | -16,232 |
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 |
|---|---|
| 2026-04 | 4 |
| 2026-03 | 2 |
| 2026-02 | 5 |
| 2026-01 | 3 |
| 2025-12 | 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 | 8,023,747 |
| Spain | 153,209 |
| China | 127,236 |
| 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 | 4,060,510 | 3,963,237 | -97,273 |
| Spain | 109,634 | 43,575 | -66,059 |
| China | 0 | 127,236 | +127,236 |
| Angola | 16,704 | 27,212 | +10,508 |
| Guyana | 6,501 | 30,577 | +24,076 |
| Italy | 26,577 | 6,110 | -20,467 |
| Libya | 0 | 25,019 | +25,019 |
| Netherlands | 16,200 | 5,743 | -10,457 |
| Poland | 7,063 | 12,025 | +4,962 |
| 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 | 14,661 |
| Spain | 2,922 |
| 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 | 14,661 | +14,661 |
| Spain | 1,616 | 1,306 | -310 |
| Germany | 1,624 | 0 | -1,624 |
| South Korea | 0 | 262 | +262 |
| Italy | 25 | 148 | +123 |
| China | 0 | 131 | +131 |
| Japan | 0 | 124 | +124 |
| Turkey | 0 | 117 | +117 |
| Indonesia | 0 | 103 | +103 |
| Czechia | 0 | 95 | +95 |
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) | 8,170,574 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 263,986 |
| Other | 126,224 |
| 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) | 4,159,979 | 4,010,595 | -149,384 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 43,008 | 220,978 | +177,970 |
| Other | 62,453 | 63,771 | +1,318 |
| 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 | 7,861,066 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 168,119 |
| Felixstowe | 145,321 |
| 000 | 126,224 |
| 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 | 3,995,635 | 3,865,431 | -130,204 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 101,581 | 66,538 | -35,043 |
| Felixstowe | 0 | 145,321 | +145,321 |
| 000 | 62,453 | 63,771 | +1,318 |
| Portsmouth | 54,504 | 0 | -54,504 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 27,716 | 24,486 | -3,230 |
| London Gateway Port | 2,560 | 43,778 | +41,218 |
| Heysham | 2,422 | 25,275 | +22,853 |
| London | 3,280 | 13,223 | +9,943 |
| Immingham Docks | 630 | 14,140 | +13,510 |
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