Import/export HS code 291521: Acetic acid
A common chemical used in food, cleaning products, and 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 | 8,715,925 |
| Belgium | 4,807,650 |
| United States | 1,299,098 |
| Sweden | 1,253,722 |
| Germany | 1,056,978 |
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 | 5,430,135 | 3,285,790 | -2,144,345 |
| Belgium | 1,403,627 | 3,404,023 | +2,000,396 |
| United States | 1,264,396 | 34,702 | -1,229,694 |
| Sweden | 852,045 | 401,677 | -450,368 |
| Germany | 465,976 | 591,002 | +125,026 |
| China | 121,584 | 182,866 | +61,282 |
| France | 101,624 | 116,744 | +15,120 |
| Spain | 45,393 | 33,079 | -12,314 |
| Ireland | 20,032 | 31,882 | +11,850 |
| Italy | 23,869 | 26,216 | +2,347 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| United States | 7,967,257 |
| Netherlands | 4,165,392 |
| China | 2,215,082 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1,055,889 |
| Sweden | 793,644 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 3,636,411 | 4,330,846 | +694,435 |
| Netherlands | 2,598,823 | 1,566,569 | -1,032,254 |
| China | 1,299,781 | 915,301 | -384,480 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1,028,521 | 27,368 | -1,001,153 |
| Sweden | 441,057 | 352,587 | -88,470 |
| Germany | 307,467 | 273,636 | -33,831 |
| Belgium | 184,040 | 369,726 | +185,686 |
| France | 61,894 | 69,881 | +7,987 |
| United Kingdom | 66,887 | 51,476 | -15,411 |
| Austria | 38,358 | 44,995 | +6,637 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 6 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 4 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 4 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 3 |
| Essex | 3 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 5 | 3 | -2 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 3 | 4 | +1 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 2 | 4 | +2 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 3 | 2 | -1 |
| Essex | 3 | 3 | +0 |
| Norfolk | 3 | 3 | +0 |
| West Yorkshire | 3 | 1 | -2 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | 2 | 0 | -2 |
| Cheshire | 2 | 2 | +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) | 12,383,082 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 5,381,762 |
| Air transport | 162,950 |
| Other | 41,743 |
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) | 6,781,290 | 5,601,792 | -1,179,498 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 2,928,653 | 2,453,109 | -475,544 |
| Air transport | 91,357 | 71,593 | -19,764 |
| Other | 12,627 | 29,116 | +16,489 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 8,304,405 |
| Hull | 6,523,311 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 1,803,046 |
| Dover | 383,135 |
| Felixstowe | 253,612 |
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 | 4,594,818 | 3,709,587 | -885,231 |
| Hull | 3,364,485 | 3,158,826 | -205,659 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 1,190,532 | 612,514 | -578,018 |
| Dover | 157,569 | 225,566 | +67,997 |
| Felixstowe | 108,837 | 144,775 | +35,938 |
| London | 152,854 | 79,332 | -73,522 |
| Middlesbrough | 45,853 | 12,573 | -33,280 |
| Southampton | 22,928 | 30,280 | +7,352 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 24,322 | 23,555 | -767 |
| 000 | 12,627 | 29,116 | +16,489 |
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 | 23 |
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 16 |
| Manufacture of food products | 4 |
| Financial service activities, except insurance and pension funding | 2 |
| Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations | 2 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-04 | 16 |
| 2026-03 | 15 |
| 2026-02 | 14 |
| 2026-01 | 12 |
| 2025-12 | 9 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| SIGMA-ALDRICH COMPANY LIMITED | 53 |
| ESTERCHEM LIMITED | 53 |
| POLYNT UK LIMITED | 52 |
| HELM GREAT BRITAIN LIMITED | 42 |
| OQEMA LIMITED | 41 |
| VWR INTERNATIONAL LTD | 38 |
| BRENNTAG UK HOLDING LIMITED | 36 |
| EAST HARBOUR GROUP LIMITED | 36 |
| CARGILL PLC | 35 |
| ESSECO UK LIMITED | 32 |
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 | 13 |
| 15m-54m | 7 |
| 0-1m | 2 |
| Other | 1 |
Import seasonality
What this shows: Average monthly import pattern from historical data.
Quick facts
HS code: 291521
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: A common chemical used in food, cleaning products, and industrial processes