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 | 103,629,214 |
| France | 99,972,322 |
| Netherlands | 92,985,627 |
| Italy | 57,628,165 |
| Belgium | 39,464,347 |
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 | 52,744,443 | 50,884,771 | -1,859,672 |
| France | 55,027,418 | 44,944,904 | -10,082,514 |
| Netherlands | 48,419,042 | 44,566,585 | -3,852,457 |
| Italy | 27,273,894 | 30,354,271 | +3,080,377 |
| Belgium | 22,241,626 | 17,222,721 | -5,018,905 |
| Spain | 17,022,538 | 14,228,320 | -2,794,218 |
| United States | 14,308,199 | 13,874,966 | -433,233 |
| Sweden | 8,460,954 | 9,306,741 | +845,787 |
| Poland | 8,610,728 | 8,220,985 | -389,743 |
| Denmark | 3,709,505 | 9,501,693 | +5,792,188 |
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 | 130,566,397 |
| Italy | 71,778,459 |
| Netherlands | 67,031,128 |
| Spain | 43,665,843 |
| France | 38,558,774 |
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 | 68,740,108 | 61,826,289 | -6,913,819 |
| Italy | 36,922,206 | 34,856,253 | -2,065,953 |
| Netherlands | 36,559,713 | 30,471,415 | -6,088,298 |
| Spain | 21,918,678 | 21,747,165 | -171,513 |
| France | 19,070,809 | 19,487,965 | +417,156 |
| Poland | 19,644,300 | 17,619,749 | -2,024,551 |
| United States | 18,411,328 | 18,617,785 | +206,457 |
| Belgium | 13,244,724 | 12,310,378 | -934,346 |
| Switzerland | 11,639,495 | 11,278,904 | -360,591 |
| Sweden | 9,074,181 | 9,614,128 | +539,947 |
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 | 59 |
| West Midlands | 40 |
| Greater Manchester | 33 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 33 |
| Inner London - West | 31 |
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 | 50 | 48 | -2 |
| West Midlands | 30 | 35 | +5 |
| Greater Manchester | 28 | 22 | -6 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 28 | 24 | -4 |
| Inner London - West | 25 | 22 | -3 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 24 | 20 | -4 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 18 | 24 | +6 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 20 | 24 | +4 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 17 | 19 | +2 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 18 | 16 | -2 |
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) | 454,889,170 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 65,921,402 |
| Air transport | 30,243,277 |
| Other | 14,084,210 |
| Road transport | 3,738,875 |
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) | 235,300,521 | 219,588,649 | -15,711,872 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 33,822,245 | 32,099,157 | -1,723,088 |
| Air transport | 14,286,041 | 15,957,236 | +1,671,195 |
| Other | 7,147,759 | 6,936,451 | -211,308 |
| Road transport | 1,503,339 | 2,235,536 | +732,197 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover | 230,652,719 |
| Immingham Docks | 69,197,814 |
| Harwich | 43,679,822 |
| Felixstowe | 39,144,842 |
| London | 22,640,387 |
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 | 115,972,867 | 114,679,852 | -1,293,015 |
| Immingham Docks | 31,487,402 | 37,710,412 | +6,223,010 |
| Harwich | 23,519,481 | 20,160,341 | -3,359,140 |
| Felixstowe | 18,495,312 | 20,649,530 | +2,154,218 |
| London | 12,456,880 | 10,183,507 | -2,273,373 |
| Eurotunnel | 10,227,970 | 8,542,597 | -1,685,373 |
| Killingholme | 12,632,039 | 5,034,102 | -7,597,937 |
| 000 | 7,147,759 | 6,936,451 | -211,308 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 7,515,636 | 5,519,425 | -1,996,211 |
| Middlesbrough | 6,273,260 | 5,566,343 | -706,917 |
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
|
183 |
|
Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products
|
111 |
|
Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles
|
54 |
|
Other manufacturing
|
47 |
|
Wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles
|
37 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-05 | 203 |
| 2026-04 | 222 |
| 2026-03 | 216 |
| 2026-02 | 207 |
| 2026-01 | 191 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| INTERNATIONAL PAINT LIMITED | 124 |
| 151 PRODUCTS LIMITED | 124 |
| PPG INDUSTRIES (UK) LIMITED | 117 |
| JOTUN PAINTS (EUROPE) LIMITED | 116 |
| 3M UNITED KINGDOM PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY | 115 |
| WESCO AIRCRAFT EMEA, LTD. | 110 |
| AEROSPHERES (UK) LIMITED | 105 |
| WOOLBRO (DISTRIBUTION) LIMITED | 103 |
| WHITFORD LIMITED | 100 |
| SIL-MID LIMITED | 98 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 54m+ | 258 |
| 1m-15m | 243 |
| 0-1m | 83 |
| 15m-54m | 69 |
| Other | 41 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Belgium | 104,133,475 |
| Netherlands | 87,738,385 |
| Ireland | 84,105,528 |
| Germany | 76,165,562 |
| United States | 68,606,195 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 51,780,122 | 52,353,353 | +573,231 |
| Netherlands | 49,786,608 | 37,951,777 | -11,834,831 |
| Ireland | 45,414,842 | 38,690,686 | -6,724,156 |
| Germany | 41,688,971 | 34,476,591 | -7,212,380 |
| United States | 42,399,090 | 26,207,105 | -16,191,985 |
| Italy | 35,670,373 | 31,856,111 | -3,814,262 |
| Spain | 25,513,344 | 26,640,539 | +1,127,195 |
| France | 20,504,270 | 24,369,342 | +3,865,072 |
| Turkey | 22,282,552 | 19,903,738 | -2,378,814 |
| Poland | 15,500,810 | 16,920,148 | +1,419,338 |
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 | 1,652,288 |
| Ireland | 1,026,739 |
| Slovakia | 405,445 |
| Germany | 218,230 |
| Belgium | 215,589 |
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 | 585,130 | 1,067,158 | +482,028 |
| Ireland | 389,782 | 636,957 | +247,175 |
| Slovakia | 148,769 | 256,676 | +107,907 |
| Germany | 88,487 | 129,743 | +41,256 |
| Belgium | 101,857 | 113,732 | +11,875 |
| Netherlands | 54,480 | 112,476 | +57,996 |
| Spain | 73,668 | 48,982 | -24,686 |
| Poland | 48,805 | 19,372 | -29,433 |
| Italy | 29,845 | 26,323 | -3,522 |
| China | 15,648 | 23,722 | +8,074 |
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) | 684,434,168 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 240,401,997 |
| Air transport | 65,091,470 |
| Other | 9,194,719 |
| Road transport | 78,044 |
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) | 355,067,568 | 329,366,600 | -25,700,968 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 140,783,714 | 99,618,283 | -41,165,431 |
| Air transport | 32,614,103 | 32,477,367 | -136,736 |
| Other | 5,353,719 | 3,841,000 | -1,512,719 |
| Road transport | 46,082 | 31,962 | -14,120 |
| Rail transport | 8,779 | 0 | -8,779 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 339,734,741 |
| Immingham Docks | 188,863,748 |
| London Gateway Port | 89,948,520 |
| Southampton | 83,648,131 |
| Felixstowe | 43,984,093 |
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 | 175,778,941 | 163,955,800 | -11,823,141 |
| Immingham Docks | 97,504,432 | 91,359,316 | -6,145,116 |
| London Gateway Port | 52,339,874 | 37,608,646 | -14,731,228 |
| Southampton | 52,158,791 | 31,489,340 | -20,669,451 |
| Felixstowe | 19,643,981 | 24,340,112 | +4,696,131 |
| Holyhead | 21,880,051 | 17,397,130 | -4,482,921 |
| London | 22,321,411 | 16,670,713 | -5,650,698 |
| Liverpool Docks | 18,775,687 | 9,230,191 | -9,545,496 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 12,835,598 | 12,222,456 | -613,142 |
| Dover | 12,172,726 | 12,215,081 | +42,355 |
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