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 | 7,883,382 |
| Belgium | 4,894,154 |
| United States | 1,300,068 |
| Sweden | 1,184,218 |
| Germany | 1,062,502 |
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 | 4,869,547 | 3,013,835 | -1,855,712 |
| Belgium | 1,638,315 | 3,255,839 | +1,617,524 |
| United States | 1,265,700 | 34,368 | -1,231,332 |
| Sweden | 799,377 | 384,841 | -414,536 |
| Germany | 512,337 | 550,165 | +37,828 |
| China | 132,549 | 162,912 | +30,363 |
| France | 99,270 | 116,446 | +17,176 |
| Spain | 33,746 | 39,248 | +5,502 |
| Ireland | 14,553 | 30,810 | +16,257 |
| Poland | 10,443 | 27,081 | +16,638 |
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 | 7,878,120 |
| Netherlands | 3,816,614 |
| China | 2,041,033 |
| Saudi Arabia | 847,846 |
| Sweden | 825,556 |
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 | 3,717,624 | 4,160,496 | +442,872 |
| Netherlands | 2,406,722 | 1,409,892 | -996,830 |
| China | 1,243,946 | 797,087 | -446,859 |
| Saudi Arabia | 820,478 | 27,368 | -793,110 |
| Sweden | 460,190 | 365,366 | -94,824 |
| Belgium | 198,350 | 354,212 | +155,862 |
| Germany | 318,239 | 227,428 | -90,811 |
| France | 58,955 | 71,990 | +13,035 |
| United Kingdom | 22,876 | 66,784 | +43,908 |
| Austria | 45,157 | 33,707 | -11,450 |
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 |
| West Yorkshire | 4 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 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 |
| West Yorkshire | 3 | 2 | -1 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 3 | 2 | -1 |
| Essex | 3 | 3 | +0 |
| Norfolk | 3 | 3 | +0 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Cheshire | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| Greater Manchester | 2 | 1 | -1 |
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) | 11,665,820 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 5,250,251 |
| Air transport | 123,321 |
| Other | 45,068 |
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) | 6,406,290 | 5,259,530 | -1,146,760 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 2,949,320 | 2,300,931 | -648,389 |
| Air transport | 53,752 | 69,569 | +15,817 |
| Other | 13,464 | 31,604 | +18,140 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 7,929,368 |
| Hull | 6,329,767 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 1,534,688 |
| Dover | 377,885 |
| Felixstowe | 241,097 |
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 | 4,337,358 | 3,592,010 | -745,348 |
| Hull | 3,335,161 | 2,994,606 | -340,555 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 1,101,323 | 433,365 | -667,958 |
| Dover | 160,675 | 217,210 | +56,535 |
| Felixstowe | 122,178 | 118,919 | -3,259 |
| London | 163,656 | 60,781 | -102,875 |
| Middlesbrough | 45,853 | 31,751 | -14,102 |
| Southampton | 32,810 | 23,045 | -9,765 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 20,401 | 25,863 | +5,462 |
| 000 | 13,464 | 31,604 | +18,140 |
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
|
15 |
|
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 |
|---|---|
| 2026-05 | 15 |
| 2026-04 | 16 |
| 2026-03 | 16 |
| 2026-02 | 14 |
| 2026-01 | 12 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| SIGMA-ALDRICH COMPANY LIMITED | 54 |
| ESTERCHEM LIMITED | 54 |
| POLYNT UK LIMITED | 53 |
| HELM GREAT BRITAIN LIMITED | 43 |
| OQEMA LIMITED | 42 |
| VWR INTERNATIONAL LTD | 39 |
| EAST HARBOUR GROUP LIMITED | 37 |
| CARGILL PLC | 36 |
| BRENNTAG UK HOLDING LIMITED | 36 |
| 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+ | 23 |
| 1m-15m | 12 |
| 15m-54m | 7 |
| 0-1m | 2 |
| Other | 2 |
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