Import/export HS code 293220: Lactones
Chemicals used in making flavors, fragrances, and pharmaceuticals
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Ireland | 33,491,639 |
| Netherlands | 28,462,699 |
| China | 20,084,603 |
| Germany | 8,440,522 |
| Switzerland | 7,704,569 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 33,485,934 | 5,705 | -33,480,229 |
| Netherlands | 24,823,231 | 3,639,468 | -21,183,763 |
| China | 8,489,790 | 11,594,813 | +3,105,023 |
| Germany | 5,188,659 | 3,251,863 | -1,936,796 |
| Switzerland | 4,742,149 | 2,962,420 | -1,779,729 |
| Belgium | 2,691,983 | 1,857,962 | -834,021 |
| Mexico | 1,457,300 | 1,610,601 | +153,301 |
| Spain | 1,624,313 | 1,072,997 | -551,316 |
| France | 1,655,408 | 855,914 | -799,494 |
| United States | 1,089,512 | 474,469 | -615,043 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Ireland | 41,465,455 |
| China | 27,928,057 |
| Switzerland | 9,137,295 |
| Netherlands | 8,637,426 |
| Germany | 7,599,846 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 41,465,455 | 0 | -41,465,455 |
| China | 12,555,602 | 15,372,455 | +2,816,853 |
| Switzerland | 5,671,270 | 3,466,025 | -2,205,245 |
| Netherlands | 8,435,854 | 201,572 | -8,234,282 |
| Germany | 4,706,204 | 2,893,642 | -1,812,562 |
| Hungary | 5,090,832 | 0 | -5,090,832 |
| Mexico | 1,904,273 | 2,377,597 | +473,324 |
| United States | 2,846,103 | 1,042,007 | -1,804,096 |
| Spain | 1,101,588 | 853,174 | -248,414 |
| India | 851,357 | 428,652 | -422,705 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 12 |
| Greater Manchester | 11 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 9 |
| Cheshire | 8 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 6 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 10 | 9 | -1 |
| Greater Manchester | 8 | 11 | +3 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 9 | 2 | -7 |
| Cheshire | 7 | 6 | -1 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 6 | 3 | -3 |
| Inner London - West | 4 | 5 | +1 |
| Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear | 4 | 5 | +1 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 6 | 3 | -3 |
| Kent | 4 | 4 | +0 |
| North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset | 4 | 5 | +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) | 81,868,109 |
| Air transport | 16,200,568 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 16,084,335 |
| Other | 238,954 |
| Road transport | 63,439 |
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) | 70,181,010 | 11,687,099 | -58,493,911 |
| Air transport | 7,242,575 | 8,957,993 | +1,715,418 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 8,700,039 | 7,384,296 | -1,315,743 |
| Other | 93,264 | 145,690 | +52,426 |
| Road transport | 48,858 | 14,581 | -34,277 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Holyhead | 49,643,190 |
| Dover | 13,102,620 |
| Southampton | 9,242,896 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 7,708,428 |
| Immingham Docks | 6,496,687 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holyhead | 49,642,192 | 998 | -49,641,194 |
| Dover | 6,526,627 | 6,575,993 | +49,366 |
| Southampton | 4,177,523 | 5,065,373 | +887,850 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 3,907,127 | 3,801,301 | -105,826 |
| Immingham Docks | 3,638,908 | 2,857,779 | -781,129 |
| Tyne | 5,090,832 | 0 | -5,090,832 |
| Belfast Airport | 1,334,819 | 1,548,787 | +213,968 |
| Felixstowe | 1,779,642 | 1,091,582 | -688,060 |
| Manchester Airport | 488,149 | 2,164,405 | +1,676,256 |
| Killingholme | 1,128,152 | 1,298,331 | +170,179 |
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 | 47 |
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 44 |
| Manufacture of food products | 17 |
| Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations | 11 |
| Office administrative, office support and other business support activities | 7 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 34 |
| 2025-11 | 37 |
| 2025-10 | 38 |
| 2025-09 | 43 |
| 2025-08 | 31 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| GIVAUDAN UK LIMITED | 120 |
| RIVERSIDE AROMATICS LIMITED | 109 |
| TILLEY DISTRIBUTION UK LIMITED | 108 |
| SIGMA-ALDRICH COMPANY LIMITED | 107 |
| R.C.TREATT & CO.LIMITED | 104 |
| CPL AROMAS LIMITED | 90 |
| OQEMA LIMITED | 80 |
| NORBROOK LABORATORIES LIMITED | 80 |
| OMEGA INGREDIENTS LIMITED | 74 |
| PIRAMAL HEALTHCARE UK LIMITED | 73 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 54m+ | 57 |
| 1m-15m | 41 |
| 15m-54m | 21 |
| 0-1m | 7 |
| Other | 5 |
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 | 35,394,027 |
| Netherlands | 15,201,816 |
| Germany | 14,630,459 |
| Spain | 12,600,061 |
| Belgium | 7,916,997 |
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 | 19,824,254 | 15,569,773 | -4,254,481 |
| Netherlands | 14,164,071 | 1,037,745 | -13,126,326 |
| Germany | 9,927,993 | 4,702,466 | -5,225,527 |
| Spain | 8,743,806 | 3,856,255 | -4,887,551 |
| Belgium | 3,503,871 | 4,413,126 | +909,255 |
| China | 2,842,982 | 1,790,948 | -1,052,034 |
| Japan | 2,536,197 | 781,132 | -1,755,065 |
| France | 1,644,167 | 691,045 | -953,122 |
| Argentina | 0 | 1,994,736 | +1,994,736 |
| South Korea | 974,290 | 612,622 | -361,668 |
Export volume by transport
What this shows: Export value by transport mode used to ship goods from the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 54,232,058 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 42,597,962 |
| Air transport | 8,701,873 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 38,163,758 | 16,068,300 | -22,095,458 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 24,508,233 | 18,089,729 | -6,418,504 |
| Air transport | 5,192,444 | 3,509,429 | -1,683,015 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Liverpool Docks | 23,946,653 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 21,500,654 |
| Immingham Docks | 18,337,201 |
| Felixstowe | 13,816,397 |
| Hull | 11,364,198 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool Docks | 9,283,192 | 14,663,461 | +5,380,269 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 16,380,954 | 5,119,700 | -11,261,254 |
| Immingham Docks | 12,412,054 | 5,925,147 | -6,486,907 |
| Felixstowe | 11,520,203 | 2,296,194 | -9,224,009 |
| Hull | 7,999,738 | 3,364,460 | -4,635,278 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 3,365,083 | 2,703,861 | -661,222 |
| Southampton | 1,648,332 | 1,550,842 | -97,490 |
| London Gateway Port | 2,351,546 | 499,737 | -1,851,809 |
| Middlesbrough | 991,257 | 579,610 | -411,647 |
| East Midlands Airport | 859,447 | 159,775 | -699,672 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
Quick facts
HS code: 293220
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Chemicals used in making flavors, fragrances, and pharmaceuticals