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 | 37,657,459 |
| France | 19,476,653 |
| Netherlands | 18,388,953 |
| China | 17,044,262 |
| United States | 11,110,603 |
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 | 18,897,480 | 18,759,979 | -137,501 |
| France | 7,863,036 | 11,613,617 | +3,750,581 |
| Netherlands | 7,851,177 | 10,537,776 | +2,686,599 |
| China | 7,121,940 | 9,922,322 | +2,800,382 |
| United States | 8,069,887 | 3,040,716 | -5,029,171 |
| Belgium | 2,583,168 | 2,844,006 | +260,838 |
| Norway | 2,241,733 | 2,651,210 | +409,477 |
| Japan | 1,703,058 | 1,209,890 | -493,168 |
| Taiwan | 1,846,363 | 348,697 | -1,497,666 |
| Switzerland | 914,792 | 603,909 | -310,883 |
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 | 33,217,418 |
| France | 21,717,316 |
| China | 19,909,680 |
| Netherlands | 10,286,320 |
| United States | 9,723,240 |
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 | 15,068,087 | 18,149,331 | +3,081,244 |
| France | 8,538,175 | 13,179,141 | +4,640,966 |
| China | 8,850,733 | 11,058,947 | +2,208,214 |
| Netherlands | 5,326,697 | 4,959,623 | -367,074 |
| United States | 7,193,704 | 2,529,536 | -4,664,168 |
| Belgium | 4,765,921 | 3,966,725 | -799,196 |
| Norway | 3,090,751 | 3,708,833 | +618,082 |
| Japan | 2,230,620 | 1,963,288 | -267,332 |
| Taiwan | 1,938,403 | 720,467 | -1,217,936 |
| Finland | 1,787,708 | 494,377 | -1,293,331 |
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 |
| Inner London - West | 11 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 11 |
| Greater Manchester | 10 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 10 |
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 |
| Inner London - West | 6 | 8 | +2 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 8 | 9 | +1 |
| Greater Manchester | 7 | 7 | +0 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 9 | 9 | +0 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 9 | 6 | -3 |
| Inner London - East | 6 | 7 | +1 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 7 | 5 | -2 |
| Cheshire | 7 | 6 | -1 |
| East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire | 7 | 7 | +0 |
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) | 79,300,107 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 42,287,381 |
| Air transport | 6,075,231 |
| Other | 805,091 |
| Road transport | 469,279 |
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) | 37,720,780 | 41,579,327 | +3,858,547 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 21,881,328 | 20,406,053 | -1,475,275 |
| Air transport | 2,724,878 | 3,350,353 | +625,475 |
| Other | 531,668 | 273,423 | -258,245 |
| Road transport | 202,961 | 266,318 | +63,357 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover | 18,460,466 |
| Immingham Docks | 15,798,531 |
| Felixstowe | 12,957,701 |
| Tyne | 11,299,962 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 10,210,324 |
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 | 7,520,012 | 10,940,454 | +3,420,442 |
| Immingham Docks | 7,377,895 | 8,420,636 | +1,042,741 |
| Felixstowe | 7,202,087 | 5,755,614 | -1,446,473 |
| Tyne | 5,518,911 | 5,781,051 | +262,140 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 2,943,228 | 7,267,096 | +4,323,868 |
| Eurotunnel | 6,336,658 | 3,149,377 | -3,187,281 |
| Southampton | 1,897,141 | 4,164,605 | +2,267,464 |
| Middlesbrough | 1,838,057 | 3,600,517 | +1,762,460 |
| Belfast Port | 4,379,907 | 245,563 | -4,134,344 |
| London Gateway Port | 1,220,303 | 3,359,383 | +2,139,080 |
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 | 44 |
| Other manufacturing | 16 |
| Manufacture of food products | 15 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 15 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-04 | 61 |
| 2026-03 | 45 |
| 2026-02 | 64 |
| 2026-01 | 57 |
| 2025-12 | 55 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| B & M RETAIL LIMITED | 123 |
| SIGMA-ALDRICH COMPANY LIMITED | 119 |
| ASTON CHEMICALS LIMITED | 109 |
| TOLSA UK LIMITED | 92 |
| WHITMAN LABORATORIES LIMITED | 92 |
| SAFIC-ALCAN UK LIMITED | 72 |
| ANPARIO PLC | 63 |
| VWR INTERNATIONAL LTD | 61 |
| CAMBRIDGE COMMODITIES LIMITED | 57 |
| AZELIS UK LIMITED | 54 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 54m+ | 108 |
| 1m-15m | 42 |
| 15m-54m | 24 |
| 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 | 203,309,099 |
| Belgium | 12,646,948 |
| Germany | 10,791,056 |
| Saudi Arabia | 6,309,627 |
| Italy | 5,805,081 |
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 | 173,710,574 | 29,598,525 | -144,112,049 |
| Belgium | 8,268,289 | 4,378,659 | -3,889,630 |
| Germany | 6,060,743 | 4,730,313 | -1,330,430 |
| Saudi Arabia | 3,429,620 | 2,880,007 | -549,613 |
| Italy | 3,540,720 | 2,264,361 | -1,276,359 |
| Ireland | 1,575,819 | 4,153,178 | +2,577,359 |
| China | 1,944,024 | 3,553,217 | +1,609,193 |
| Sweden | 2,462,856 | 2,692,899 | +230,043 |
| Poland | 3,018,907 | 1,925,720 | -1,093,187 |
| Spain | 2,022,246 | 1,874,293 | -147,953 |
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 | 3,130 |
| China | 724 |
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 | 3,130 | +3,130 |
| China | 724 | 0 | -724 |
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) | 239,401,020 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 55,513,711 |
| Air transport | 5,260,669 |
| Road transport | 22,600 |
| Other | 16,629 |
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) | 193,195,766 | 46,205,254 | -146,990,512 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 30,732,025 | 24,781,686 | -5,950,339 |
| Air transport | 3,256,956 | 2,003,713 | -1,253,243 |
| Road transport | 22,600 | 0 | -22,600 |
| Other | 13,499 | 3,130 | -10,369 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Southampton | 209,400,907 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 32,759,450 |
| London Gateway Port | 19,248,168 |
| Immingham Docks | 12,511,429 |
| Holyhead | 4,636,595 |
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 | 175,999,280 | 33,401,627 | -142,597,653 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 19,350,163 | 13,409,287 | -5,940,876 |
| London Gateway Port | 10,578,978 | 8,669,190 | -1,909,788 |
| Immingham Docks | 7,286,934 | 5,224,495 | -2,062,439 |
| Holyhead | 985,738 | 3,650,857 | +2,665,119 |
| Felixstowe | 2,788,980 | 1,404,353 | -1,384,627 |
| Liverpool Docks | 1,797,202 | 1,695,073 | -102,129 |
| Newhaven | 1,122,566 | 1,115,632 | -6,934 |
| London | 1,374,067 | 794,285 | -579,782 |
| Hull | 1,070,799 | 944,469 | -126,330 |
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