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 | 18,569,566 |
| Belgium | 4,514,671 |
| Germany | 2,688,016 |
| France | 1,567,410 |
| Ireland | 649,987 |
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 | 10,040,754 | 8,528,812 | -1,511,942 |
| Belgium | 1,894,677 | 2,619,994 | +725,317 |
| Germany | 1,011,086 | 1,676,930 | +665,844 |
| France | 923,391 | 644,019 | -279,372 |
| Ireland | 258,911 | 391,076 | +132,165 |
| Austria | 131,188 | 151,355 | +20,167 |
| Italy | 137,338 | 63,162 | -74,176 |
| China | 42,899 | 27,818 | -15,081 |
| Hungary | 10,473 | 19,935 | +9,462 |
| Poland | 12,131 | 14,912 | +2,781 |
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 | 16,095,835 |
| Belgium | 4,856,768 |
| Germany | 2,259,740 |
| France | 1,190,841 |
| Austria | 282,543 |
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 | 8,506,264 | 7,589,571 | -916,693 |
| Belgium | 2,180,105 | 2,676,663 | +496,558 |
| Germany | 698,397 | 1,561,343 | +862,946 |
| France | 644,774 | 546,067 | -98,707 |
| Austria | 131,188 | 151,355 | +20,167 |
| Italy | 114,850 | 79,516 | -35,334 |
| China | 44,315 | 33,296 | -11,019 |
| Ireland | 57,725 | 0 | -57,725 |
| United Kingdom | 46,419 | 7,697 | -38,722 |
| Hungary | 10,473 | 19,935 | +9,462 |
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 | 2 | -1 |
| Inner London - East | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| Northern Ireland | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset | 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) | 17,159,152 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 7,950,729 |
| Other | 3,468,804 |
| Air transport | 66,029 |
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) | 10,494,221 | 6,664,931 | -3,829,290 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,922,990 | 6,027,739 | +4,104,749 |
| Other | 2,035,001 | 1,433,803 | -601,198 |
| Air transport | 45,925 | 20,104 | -25,821 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 21,865,263 |
| 000 | 3,468,804 |
| London | 1,233,518 |
| Eurotunnel | 1,149,786 |
| Dover | 346,050 |
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 | 10,898,520 | 10,966,743 | +68,223 |
| 000 | 2,035,001 | 1,433,803 | -601,198 |
| London | 720,383 | 513,135 | -207,248 |
| Eurotunnel | 389,358 | 760,428 | +371,070 |
| Dover | 130,718 | 215,332 | +84,614 |
| Middlesbrough | 99,571 | 124,747 | +25,176 |
| London Gateway Port | 41,044 | 19,597 | -21,447 |
| Harwich | 37,592 | 21,933 | -15,659 |
| East Midlands Airport | 44,984 | 5,293 | -39,691 |
| Southampton | 10,219 | 30,741 | +20,522 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
| Activities of head offices; management consultancy activities | 2 |
| Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products | 2 |
| Other manufacturing | 2 |
| Extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas | 1 |
| Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations | 1 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 3 |
| 2025-11 | 5 |
| 2025-10 | 3 |
| 2025-09 | 3 |
| 2025-08 | 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+ | 6 |
| 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 | 7,570,619 |
| Spain | 138,064 |
| Angola | 43,916 |
| Italy | 26,577 |
| Netherlands | 24,577 |
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 | 4,205,248 | 3,365,371 | -839,877 |
| Spain | 109,634 | 28,430 | -81,204 |
| Angola | 16,704 | 27,212 | +10,508 |
| Italy | 9,984 | 16,593 | +6,609 |
| Netherlands | 18,834 | 5,743 | -13,091 |
| Poland | 10,808 | 12,025 | +1,217 |
| Libya | 0 | 16,193 | +16,193 |
| France | 7,140 | 8,739 | +1,599 |
| Guyana | 6,501 | 6,091 | -410 |
| Congo | 4,511 | 5,831 | +1,320 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Spain | 2,992 |
| Germany | 1,624 |
| Ireland | 1,344 |
| South Korea | 262 |
| Italy | 218 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 1,976 | 1,016 | -960 |
| Germany | 1,624 | 0 | -1,624 |
| Ireland | 1,344 | 0 | -1,344 |
| South Korea | 0 | 262 | +262 |
| Italy | 96 | 122 | +26 |
| 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) | 7,723,241 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 108,818 |
| Other | 101,457 |
| 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) | 4,292,286 | 3,430,955 | -861,331 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 43,082 | 65,736 | +22,654 |
| Other | 66,654 | 34,803 | -31,851 |
| 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 | 7,438,492 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 144,381 |
| 000 | 101,457 |
| Portsmouth | 54,504 |
| London Gateway Port | 46,338 |
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 | 4,128,794 | 3,309,698 | -819,096 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 84,988 | 59,393 | -25,595 |
| 000 | 66,654 | 34,803 | -31,851 |
| Portsmouth | 54,504 | 0 | -54,504 |
| London Gateway Port | 0 | 46,338 | +46,338 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 27,716 | 0 | -27,716 |
| Dover | 11,770 | 10,410 | -1,360 |
| Heysham | 9,800 | 12,110 | +2,310 |
| Immingham Docks | 630 | 14,136 | +13,506 |
| Felixstowe | 0 | 14,026 | +14,026 |
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