Import/export HS code 281511: Solid sodium hydroxide
Sodium hydroxide in solid form, also known as caustic soda, used in soap making and industrial cleaning
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| China | 4,312,907 |
| France | 3,464,207 |
| Netherlands | 2,398,571 |
| Taiwan | 2,152,260 |
| Belgium | 1,521,654 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 2,482,917 | 1,829,990 | -652,927 |
| France | 2,247,957 | 1,216,250 | -1,031,707 |
| Netherlands | 1,394,352 | 1,004,219 | -390,133 |
| Taiwan | 1,181,834 | 970,426 | -211,408 |
| Belgium | 543,359 | 978,295 | +434,936 |
| Sweden | 285,081 | 444,705 | +159,624 |
| India | 348,498 | 299,325 | -49,173 |
| Germany | 223,976 | 158,732 | -65,244 |
| United States | 145,367 | 65,004 | -80,363 |
| Spain | 41,462 | 70,209 | +28,747 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| China | 4,445,646 |
| France | 3,796,901 |
| Germany | 3,261,354 |
| Taiwan | 2,162,303 |
| Sweden | 799,738 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 2,591,564 | 1,854,082 | -737,482 |
| France | 2,274,531 | 1,522,370 | -752,161 |
| Germany | 1,777,326 | 1,484,028 | -293,298 |
| Taiwan | 1,181,834 | 980,469 | -201,365 |
| Sweden | 288,407 | 511,331 | +222,924 |
| India | 319,250 | 283,598 | -35,652 |
| Czechia | 133,555 | 113,065 | -20,490 |
| Belgium | 87,644 | 128,028 | +40,384 |
| United States | 151,577 | 60,646 | -90,931 |
| Qatar | 88,450 | 61,139 | -27,311 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 5 |
| West Yorkshire | 3 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 2 |
| Cheshire | 2 |
| Greater Manchester | 2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 5 | 3 | -2 |
| West Yorkshire | 3 | 2 | -1 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| Cheshire | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Greater Manchester | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| Inner London - East | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Inner London - West | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| Merseyside | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| Norfolk | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 1 | 1 | +0 |
Import volume by transport
What this shows: Import value by transport mode used to bring goods into the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 9,261,706 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 6,682,068 |
| Other | 301,217 |
| Air transport | 135,629 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 5,466,660 | 3,795,046 | -1,671,614 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 3,407,997 | 3,274,071 | -133,926 |
| Other | 155,231 | 145,986 | -9,245 |
| Air transport | 99,597 | 36,032 | -63,565 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover | 5,330,607 |
| Felixstowe | 5,040,995 |
| Liverpool Docks | 1,797,895 |
| Immingham Docks | 931,578 |
| London | 667,043 |
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 | 3,019,723 | 2,310,884 | -708,839 |
| Felixstowe | 2,934,884 | 2,106,111 | -828,773 |
| Liverpool Docks | 932,629 | 865,266 | -67,363 |
| Immingham Docks | 453,069 | 478,509 | +25,440 |
| London | 182,866 | 484,177 | +301,311 |
| Eurotunnel | 201,643 | 152,778 | -48,865 |
| Harwich | 174,735 | 163,200 | -11,535 |
| Middlesbrough | 256,940 | 66,959 | -189,981 |
| London Gateway Port | 83,990 | 228,316 | +144,326 |
| 000 | 155,231 | 145,986 | -9,245 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 17 |
| Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products | 13 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 5 |
| Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations | 3 |
| Activities of head offices; management consultancy activities | 2 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 11 |
| 2025-11 | 12 |
| 2025-10 | 10 |
| 2025-09 | 9 |
| 2025-08 | 10 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| BIACHEM LIMITED | 86 |
| SIGMA-ALDRICH COMPANY LIMITED | 64 |
| ABBEYCHEM LIMITED | 54 |
| BRENNTAG UK HOLDING LIMITED | 38 |
| VWR INTERNATIONAL LTD | 35 |
| DIVERSEY LIMITED | 34 |
| LONZA GROUP UK LTD | 29 |
| AZELIS UK LIMITED | 28 |
| MONARCH CHEMICALS LIMITED | 25 |
| WHITMAN LABORATORIES LIMITED | 24 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 54m+ | 24 |
| 1m-15m | 12 |
| 15m-54m | 5 |
| Other | 2 |
| 0-1m | 1 |
Import seasonality
What this shows: Average monthly import pattern from historical data.
Quick facts
HS code: 281511
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Sodium hydroxide in solid form, also known as caustic soda, used in soap making and industrial cleaning