Import/export HS code 281122: Silicon dioxide
A compound used in glass, ceramics, and as a food additive
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 | 35,093,193 |
| France | 16,516,189 |
| Netherlands | 15,755,178 |
| China | 13,981,911 |
| United States | 10,622,443 |
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 | 19,367,975 | 15,725,218 | -3,642,757 |
| France | 7,251,522 | 9,264,667 | +2,013,145 |
| Netherlands | 7,361,128 | 8,394,050 | +1,032,922 |
| China | 6,682,481 | 7,299,430 | +616,949 |
| United States | 7,954,369 | 2,668,074 | -5,286,295 |
| Belgium | 2,721,846 | 2,439,607 | -282,239 |
| Norway | 2,360,636 | 1,995,495 | -365,141 |
| Japan | 1,802,035 | 931,901 | -870,134 |
| Taiwan | 2,329,572 | 386,719 | -1,942,853 |
| Switzerland | 811,540 | 590,311 | -221,229 |
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 | 29,558,130 |
| France | 18,381,269 |
| China | 16,766,869 |
| Netherlands | 9,506,186 |
| United States | 9,120,278 |
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 | 15,350,575 | 14,207,555 | -1,143,020 |
| France | 7,936,936 | 10,444,333 | +2,507,397 |
| China | 8,412,443 | 8,354,426 | -58,017 |
| Netherlands | 4,565,662 | 4,940,524 | +374,862 |
| United States | 7,116,786 | 2,003,492 | -5,113,294 |
| Belgium | 5,203,154 | 3,423,823 | -1,779,331 |
| Norway | 3,242,165 | 2,913,872 | -328,293 |
| Japan | 2,338,135 | 1,372,663 | -965,472 |
| Taiwan | 2,421,612 | 706,818 | -1,714,794 |
| Finland | 1,915,728 | 747,674 | -1,168,054 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 15 |
| Inner London - West | 10 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 10 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 10 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 9 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 12 | 11 | -1 |
| Inner London - West | 7 | 6 | -1 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 8 | 9 | +1 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 7 | 9 | +2 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 8 | 7 | -1 |
| Greater Manchester | 6 | 7 | +1 |
| Inner London - East | 6 | 8 | +2 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 7 | 5 | -2 |
| Cheshire | 5 | 7 | +2 |
| East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire | 7 | 5 | -2 |
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) | 71,830,204 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 37,366,160 |
| Air transport | 5,215,731 |
| Other | 838,580 |
| Road transport | 449,525 |
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) | 37,628,269 | 34,201,935 | -3,426,334 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 21,947,119 | 15,419,041 | -6,528,078 |
| Air transport | 2,499,643 | 2,716,088 | +216,445 |
| Other | 531,087 | 307,493 | -223,594 |
| Road transport | 198,445 | 251,080 | +52,635 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover | 15,528,287 |
| Immingham Docks | 13,654,019 |
| Felixstowe | 12,005,390 |
| Eurotunnel | 10,633,133 |
| Tyne | 10,255,931 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | 7,356,323 | 8,171,964 | +815,641 |
| Immingham Docks | 6,733,242 | 6,920,777 | +187,535 |
| Felixstowe | 7,242,362 | 4,763,028 | -2,479,334 |
| Eurotunnel | 7,223,927 | 3,409,206 | -3,814,721 |
| Tyne | 4,911,987 | 5,343,944 | +431,957 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 2,459,996 | 5,345,255 | +2,885,259 |
| Southampton | 2,373,097 | 2,748,963 | +375,866 |
| Hull | 3,557,058 | 1,085,658 | -2,471,400 |
| Belfast Port | 4,379,907 | 130,353 | -4,249,554 |
| Middlesbrough | 1,429,777 | 2,965,775 | +1,535,998 |
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 | 49 |
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 39 |
| Activities of head offices; management consultancy activities | 14 |
| Manufacture of food products | 14 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 14 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 57 |
| 2025-11 | 50 |
| 2025-10 | 61 |
| 2025-09 | 51 |
| 2025-08 | 59 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| B & M RETAIL LIMITED | 119 |
| SIGMA-ALDRICH COMPANY LIMITED | 115 |
| ASTON CHEMICALS LIMITED | 105 |
| TOLSA UK LIMITED | 88 |
| WHITMAN LABORATORIES LIMITED | 88 |
| SAFIC-ALCAN UK LIMITED | 69 |
| ANPARIO PLC | 59 |
| VWR INTERNATIONAL LTD | 57 |
| CAMBRIDGE COMMODITIES LIMITED | 53 |
| MEGACHEM (UK) LTD. | 51 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 54m+ | 104 |
| 1m-15m | 38 |
| 15m-54m | 18 |
| Other | 16 |
| 0-1m | 4 |
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 | 195,217,909 |
| Belgium | 12,413,017 |
| Germany | 10,121,927 |
| Italy | 5,764,610 |
| Poland | 5,088,974 |
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 | 174,263,669 | 20,954,240 | -153,309,429 |
| Belgium | 8,180,793 | 4,232,224 | -3,948,569 |
| Germany | 5,907,389 | 4,214,538 | -1,692,851 |
| Italy | 3,360,455 | 2,404,155 | -956,300 |
| Poland | 3,741,122 | 1,347,852 | -2,393,270 |
| Saudi Arabia | 3,178,717 | 1,854,372 | -1,324,345 |
| Ireland | 2,768,155 | 2,145,561 | -622,594 |
| Sweden | 2,498,221 | 2,285,805 | -212,416 |
| China | 1,816,470 | 2,816,814 | +1,000,344 |
| Spain | 1,930,987 | 2,001,596 | +70,609 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Norway | 12,334 |
| China | 985 |
| XI | 862 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norway | 12,334 | 0 | -12,334 |
| China | 985 | 0 | -985 |
| XI | 0 | 862 | +862 |
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) | 231,576,415 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 52,499,200 |
| Air transport | 5,148,488 |
| Road transport | 22,600 |
| Other | 14,622 |
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) | 197,154,623 | 34,421,792 | -162,732,831 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 30,914,608 | 21,584,592 | -9,330,016 |
| Air transport | 3,034,935 | 2,113,553 | -921,382 |
| Road transport | 22,600 | 0 | -22,600 |
| Other | 13,383 | 1,239 | -12,144 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Southampton | 201,207,149 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 31,950,660 |
| London Gateway Port | 18,271,828 |
| Immingham Docks | 12,543,825 |
| Felixstowe | 4,385,444 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southampton | 176,751,214 | 24,455,935 | -152,295,279 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 19,089,433 | 12,861,227 | -6,228,206 |
| London Gateway Port | 11,883,737 | 6,388,091 | -5,495,646 |
| Immingham Docks | 7,865,676 | 4,678,149 | -3,187,527 |
| Felixstowe | 3,132,397 | 1,253,047 | -1,879,350 |
| Holyhead | 2,250,357 | 1,688,054 | -562,303 |
| Liverpool Docks | 1,767,856 | 1,469,377 | -298,479 |
| Newhaven | 1,072,821 | 1,099,564 | +26,743 |
| London | 1,199,911 | 853,913 | -345,998 |
| Hull | 1,400,114 | 537,373 | -862,741 |
Quick facts
HS code: 281122
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: A compound used in glass, ceramics, and as a food additive