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 | 35,741,856 |
| France | 19,326,709 |
| Netherlands | 18,132,950 |
| China | 17,304,865 |
| United States | 6,824,299 |
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 | 19,413,851 | 16,328,005 | -3,085,846 |
| France | 8,712,912 | 10,613,797 | +1,900,885 |
| Netherlands | 8,439,393 | 9,693,557 | +1,254,164 |
| China | 7,485,729 | 9,819,136 | +2,333,407 |
| United States | 4,162,338 | 2,661,961 | -1,500,377 |
| Belgium | 2,616,041 | 2,678,467 | +62,426 |
| Norway | 2,281,537 | 2,362,628 | +81,091 |
| Japan | 1,831,420 | 950,281 | -881,139 |
| Taiwan | 1,664,049 | 208,126 | -1,455,923 |
| Switzerland | 1,011,244 | 464,869 | -546,375 |
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 | 32,067,149 |
| France | 21,524,369 |
| China | 20,206,389 |
| Netherlands | 10,052,564 |
| Belgium | 8,143,514 |
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 | 15,565,740 | 16,501,409 | +935,669 |
| France | 9,516,266 | 12,008,103 | +2,491,837 |
| China | 9,337,030 | 10,869,359 | +1,532,329 |
| Netherlands | 5,835,210 | 4,217,354 | -1,617,856 |
| Belgium | 4,777,449 | 3,366,065 | -1,411,384 |
| Norway | 3,129,487 | 3,192,427 | +62,940 |
| United States | 3,095,329 | 2,171,652 | -923,677 |
| Japan | 2,395,018 | 1,687,860 | -707,158 |
| Taiwan | 1,756,089 | 579,896 | -1,176,193 |
| Finland | 1,716,693 | 286,873 | -1,429,820 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 16 |
| Greater Manchester | 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 | 13 | 13 | +0 |
| Greater Manchester | 7 | 6 | -1 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 10 | 8 | -2 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 8 | 8 | +0 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 9 | 6 | -3 |
| Inner London - East | 7 | 7 | +0 |
| Inner London - West | 5 | 7 | +2 |
| Merseyside | 6 | 9 | +3 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 7 | 6 | -1 |
| Cheshire | 7 | 6 | -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) | 76,987,775 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 37,204,704 |
| Air transport | 5,917,248 |
| Other | 738,718 |
| Road transport | 472,523 |
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) | 39,485,278 | 37,502,497 | -1,982,781 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 17,902,017 | 19,302,687 | +1,400,670 |
| Air transport | 3,221,195 | 2,696,053 | -525,142 |
| Other | 532,347 | 206,371 | -325,976 |
| Road transport | 244,474 | 228,049 | -16,425 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover | 18,164,749 |
| Immingham Docks | 15,195,757 |
| Felixstowe | 12,479,206 |
| Tyne | 11,167,728 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 10,606,398 |
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 | 8,396,480 | 9,768,269 | +1,371,789 |
| Immingham Docks | 7,439,762 | 7,755,995 | +316,233 |
| Felixstowe | 7,346,077 | 5,133,129 | -2,212,948 |
| Tyne | 6,123,028 | 5,044,700 | -1,078,328 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 3,886,669 | 6,719,729 | +2,833,060 |
| Eurotunnel | 5,696,455 | 2,696,677 | -2,999,778 |
| Southampton | 1,916,890 | 4,432,719 | +2,515,829 |
| Middlesbrough | 2,145,472 | 3,413,718 | +1,268,246 |
| London Gateway Port | 1,582,963 | 3,066,292 | +1,483,329 |
| Boston | 2,205,983 | 2,033,756 | -172,227 |
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
|
45 |
|
Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles
|
44 |
|
Manufacture of food products
|
16 |
|
Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles
|
16 |
|
Other manufacturing
|
14 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-05 | 62 |
| 2026-04 | 62 |
| 2026-03 | 45 |
| 2026-02 | 64 |
| 2026-01 | 57 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| B & M RETAIL LIMITED | 124 |
| SIGMA-ALDRICH COMPANY LIMITED | 120 |
| ASTON CHEMICALS LIMITED | 110 |
| TOLSA UK LIMITED | 93 |
| WHITMAN LABORATORIES LIMITED | 93 |
| SAFIC-ALCAN UK LIMITED | 73 |
| ANPARIO PLC | 64 |
| VWR INTERNATIONAL LTD | 61 |
| CAMBRIDGE COMMODITIES LIMITED | 58 |
| AZELIS UK LIMITED | 55 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 54m+ | 105 |
| 1m-15m | 40 |
| 15m-54m | 23 |
| Other | 17 |
| 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 | 34,922,371 |
| Belgium | 11,077,597 |
| Germany | 10,202,771 |
| Saudi Arabia | 6,165,947 |
| Ireland | 5,585,887 |
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 | 5,529,389 | 29,392,982 | +23,863,593 |
| Belgium | 7,489,877 | 3,587,720 | -3,902,157 |
| Germany | 5,843,723 | 4,359,048 | -1,484,675 |
| Saudi Arabia | 3,118,388 | 3,047,559 | -70,829 |
| Ireland | 2,041,330 | 3,544,557 | +1,503,227 |
| China | 2,226,646 | 3,137,412 | +910,766 |
| Italy | 3,235,398 | 2,049,545 | -1,185,853 |
| Sweden | 2,402,909 | 2,424,609 | +21,700 |
| Poland | 2,581,560 | 1,835,336 | -746,224 |
| Spain | 2,284,007 | 1,377,429 | -906,578 |
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 |
| XI | 4,949 |
| China | 257 |
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 |
| XI | 0 | 4,949 | +4,949 |
| China | 257 | 0 | -257 |
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) | 69,142,466 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 51,721,175 |
| Air transport | 4,110,736 |
| Road transport | 22,600 |
| Other | 17,981 |
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) | 24,780,029 | 44,362,437 | +19,582,408 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 30,286,297 | 21,434,878 | -8,851,419 |
| Air transport | 2,257,222 | 1,853,514 | -403,708 |
| Road transport | 22,600 | 0 | -22,600 |
| Other | 13,032 | 4,949 | -8,083 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Southampton | 41,536,140 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 30,039,241 |
| London Gateway Port | 18,872,686 |
| Immingham Docks | 11,510,029 |
| Holyhead | 4,533,425 |
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 | 8,691,987 | 32,844,153 | +24,152,166 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 18,529,355 | 11,509,886 | -7,019,469 |
| London Gateway Port | 10,640,144 | 8,232,542 | -2,407,602 |
| Immingham Docks | 6,760,992 | 4,749,037 | -2,011,955 |
| Holyhead | 1,465,974 | 3,067,451 | +1,601,477 |
| Felixstowe | 2,451,223 | 936,603 | -1,514,620 |
| Liverpool Docks | 1,767,988 | 1,426,575 | -341,413 |
| Newhaven | 1,234,940 | 905,277 | -329,663 |
| London | 1,295,263 | 619,798 | -675,465 |
| Hull | 821,380 | 880,416 | +59,036 |
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