Import/export HS code 3208: Paints and varnishes (non-aqueous)
Paints and varnishes made from synthetic or modified natural polymers, dissolved or dispersed in non-water liquids
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 | 100,836,141 |
| France | 97,425,210 |
| Netherlands | 92,015,924 |
| Italy | 53,111,190 |
| Belgium | 41,060,580 |
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 | 54,706,663 | 46,129,478 | -8,577,185 |
| France | 51,438,216 | 45,986,994 | -5,451,222 |
| Netherlands | 50,163,582 | 41,852,342 | -8,311,240 |
| Italy | 26,949,379 | 26,161,811 | -787,568 |
| Belgium | 24,702,427 | 16,358,153 | -8,344,274 |
| Spain | 20,239,947 | 11,063,773 | -9,176,174 |
| United States | 14,520,345 | 12,121,790 | -2,398,555 |
| Poland | 9,945,749 | 6,585,758 | -3,359,991 |
| Sweden | 8,885,276 | 7,550,316 | -1,334,960 |
| Ireland | 6,726,603 | 5,336,428 | -1,390,175 |
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 | 129,033,967 |
| Italy | 69,296,000 |
| Netherlands | 67,468,685 |
| Spain | 41,747,295 |
| France | 36,260,361 |
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 | 70,400,035 | 58,633,932 | -11,766,103 |
| Italy | 37,163,584 | 32,132,416 | -5,031,168 |
| Netherlands | 37,215,868 | 30,252,817 | -6,963,051 |
| Spain | 23,816,189 | 17,931,106 | -5,885,083 |
| France | 18,736,901 | 17,523,460 | -1,213,441 |
| Poland | 19,654,281 | 16,368,747 | -3,285,534 |
| United States | 18,450,780 | 16,238,672 | -2,212,108 |
| Belgium | 14,493,163 | 10,715,685 | -3,777,478 |
| Switzerland | 11,343,924 | 10,553,647 | -790,277 |
| Sweden | 9,667,279 | 7,902,862 | -1,764,417 |
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 | 56 |
| West Midlands | 38 |
| Greater Manchester | 35 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 33 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 29 |
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 | 49 | 45 | -4 |
| West Midlands | 28 | 29 | +1 |
| Greater Manchester | 31 | 22 | -9 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 27 | 25 | -2 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 25 | 18 | -7 |
| Inner London - West | 25 | 17 | -8 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 17 | 21 | +4 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 17 | 19 | +2 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 19 | 18 | -1 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 19 | 18 | -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) | 441,389,297 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 64,884,723 |
| Air transport | 28,053,022 |
| Other | 12,912,038 |
| Road transport | 2,694,294 |
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) | 239,204,898 | 202,184,399 | -37,020,499 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 36,308,458 | 28,576,265 | -7,732,193 |
| Air transport | 14,683,525 | 13,369,497 | -1,314,028 |
| Other | 7,041,359 | 5,870,679 | -1,170,680 |
| Road transport | 1,003,229 | 1,691,065 | +687,836 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover | 219,265,460 |
| Immingham Docks | 64,456,649 |
| Harwich | 41,419,699 |
| Felixstowe | 37,529,989 |
| London | 25,120,520 |
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 | 115,928,109 | 103,337,351 | -12,590,758 |
| Immingham Docks | 31,575,976 | 32,880,673 | +1,304,697 |
| Harwich | 22,735,518 | 18,684,181 | -4,051,337 |
| Felixstowe | 18,753,069 | 18,776,920 | +23,851 |
| London | 15,362,678 | 9,757,842 | -5,604,836 |
| Eurotunnel | 11,624,336 | 8,107,988 | -3,516,348 |
| Killingholme | 13,742,327 | 5,646,585 | -8,095,742 |
| 000 | 7,041,359 | 5,870,679 | -1,170,680 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 7,139,083 | 5,620,496 | -1,518,587 |
| Middlesbrough | 6,596,469 | 5,120,796 | -1,475,673 |
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 | 181 |
| Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products | 112 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 51 |
| Other manufacturing | 45 |
| Wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 40 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 191 |
| 2025-11 | 211 |
| 2025-10 | 233 |
| 2025-09 | 210 |
| 2025-08 | 198 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| INTERNATIONAL PAINT LIMITED | 119 |
| 151 PRODUCTS LIMITED | 119 |
| PPG INDUSTRIES (UK) LIMITED | 112 |
| JOTUN PAINTS (EUROPE) LIMITED | 111 |
| 3M UNITED KINGDOM PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY | 110 |
| WESCO AIRCRAFT EMEA, LTD. | 105 |
| AEROSPHERES (UK) LIMITED | 100 |
| WOOLBRO (DISTRIBUTION) LIMITED | 99 |
| WHITFORD LIMITED | 95 |
| SIL-MID LIMITED | 93 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 54m+ | 251 |
| 1m-15m | 235 |
| 0-1m | 82 |
| 15m-54m | 71 |
| Other | 43 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | 103,620,117 |
| Belgium | 87,889,320 |
| Ireland | 87,057,599 |
| Germany | 74,196,544 |
| United States | 73,333,731 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 67,870,776 | 35,749,341 | -32,121,435 |
| Belgium | 37,228,503 | 50,660,817 | +13,432,314 |
| Ireland | 49,915,549 | 37,142,050 | -12,773,499 |
| Germany | 38,326,802 | 35,869,742 | -2,457,060 |
| United States | 45,341,453 | 27,992,278 | -17,349,175 |
| Italy | 37,496,597 | 29,574,717 | -7,921,880 |
| Spain | 25,450,331 | 22,972,546 | -2,477,785 |
| Turkey | 24,413,273 | 16,328,470 | -8,084,803 |
| France | 18,789,209 | 19,521,374 | +732,165 |
| Poland | 14,510,282 | 17,183,830 | +2,673,548 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| XI | 1,677,415 |
| Ireland | 848,738 |
| Slovakia | 307,545 |
| Germany | 181,749 |
| Belgium | 177,443 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| XI | 800,725 | 876,690 | +75,965 |
| Ireland | 350,816 | 497,922 | +147,106 |
| Slovakia | 109,685 | 197,860 | +88,175 |
| Germany | 70,499 | 111,250 | +40,751 |
| Belgium | 70,159 | 107,284 | +37,125 |
| Spain | 80,443 | 77,457 | -2,986 |
| Netherlands | 38,732 | 52,519 | +13,787 |
| Poland | 48,767 | 34,133 | -14,634 |
| Italy | 27,860 | 29,377 | +1,517 |
| China | 21,383 | 16,872 | -4,511 |
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) | 650,927,421 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 263,438,539 |
| Air transport | 58,824,045 |
| Other | 9,627,859 |
| Road transport | 99,897 |
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) | 343,014,906 | 307,912,515 | -35,102,391 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 162,654,112 | 100,784,427 | -61,869,685 |
| Air transport | 31,630,229 | 27,193,816 | -4,436,413 |
| Other | 5,212,893 | 4,414,966 | -797,927 |
| Road transport | 85,029 | 14,868 | -70,161 |
| Rail transport | 44,566 | 0 | -44,566 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 323,748,817 |
| Immingham Docks | 185,477,606 |
| Southampton | 89,763,109 |
| London Gateway Port | 89,229,907 |
| Holyhead | 44,148,882 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 175,299,982 | 148,448,835 | -26,851,147 |
| Immingham Docks | 97,740,476 | 87,737,130 | -10,003,346 |
| Southampton | 54,895,546 | 34,867,563 | -20,027,983 |
| London Gateway Port | 51,142,711 | 38,087,196 | -13,055,515 |
| Holyhead | 25,304,554 | 18,844,328 | -6,460,226 |
| London | 20,136,669 | 20,144,386 | +7,717 |
| Felixstowe | 22,253,706 | 17,570,299 | -4,683,407 |
| Liverpool Docks | 19,423,319 | 10,297,501 | -9,125,818 |
| Dover | 13,949,611 | 12,308,075 | -1,641,536 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 12,303,130 | 10,523,934 | -1,779,196 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
Quick facts
HS code: 3208
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Paints and varnishes made from synthetic or modified natural polymers, dissolved or dispersed in non-water liquids