Import/export HS code 3605: Matches
Regular matches used for lighting fires, not including pyrotechnic items like fireworks
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Sweden | 4,005,232 |
| China | 1,459,349 |
| India | 1,223,169 |
| Belgium | 344,432 |
| Poland | 158,228 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 2,007,528 | 1,997,704 | -9,824 |
| China | 709,866 | 749,483 | +39,617 |
| India | 652,912 | 570,257 | -82,655 |
| Belgium | 228,185 | 116,247 | -111,938 |
| Poland | 51,297 | 106,931 | +55,634 |
| Turkey | 46,251 | 71,369 | +25,118 |
| Germany | 48,201 | 50,226 | +2,025 |
| Hungary | 67,093 | 27,142 | -39,951 |
| France | 26,709 | 58,078 | +31,369 |
| United States | 32,590 | 32,760 | +170 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Sweden | 4,005,199 |
| China | 1,586,791 |
| India | 1,181,435 |
| Poland | 322,406 |
| United Kingdom | 223,073 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 2,007,495 | 1,997,704 | -9,791 |
| China | 753,286 | 833,505 | +80,219 |
| India | 655,259 | 526,176 | -129,083 |
| Poland | 147,183 | 175,223 | +28,040 |
| United Kingdom | 134,864 | 88,209 | -46,655 |
| Turkey | 59,113 | 113,555 | +54,442 |
| Hungary | 79,233 | 32,531 | -46,702 |
| Germany | 40,903 | 18,078 | -22,825 |
| United States | 31,670 | 2,117 | -29,553 |
| Italy | 7,554 | 0 | -7,554 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 11 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 4 |
| Inner London - East | 3 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 2 |
| Merseyside | 2 |
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 | 6 | 10 | +4 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 2 | 3 | +1 |
| Inner London - East | 3 | 1 | -2 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| Merseyside | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 0 | 1 | +1 |
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| Cheshire | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| Gloucestershire and Wiltshire | 1 | 0 | -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) | 6,000,454 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,462,146 |
| Air transport | 218,866 |
| Other | 44,468 |
| Road transport | 8,332 |
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) | 3,256,756 | 2,743,698 | -513,058 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 510,236 | 951,910 | +441,674 |
| Air transport | 119,297 | 99,569 | -19,728 |
| Other | 35,254 | 9,214 | -26,040 |
| Road transport | 8,332 | 0 | -8,332 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 4,008,552 |
| Felixstowe | 1,131,577 |
| London Gateway Port | 1,105,001 |
| Southampton | 279,704 |
| Dover | 265,154 |
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 | 2,011,865 | 1,996,687 | -15,178 |
| Felixstowe | 869,289 | 262,288 | -607,001 |
| London Gateway Port | 351,318 | 753,683 | +402,365 |
| Southampton | 67,052 | 212,652 | +145,600 |
| Dover | 130,512 | 134,642 | +4,130 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 151,948 | 82,949 | -68,999 |
| Eurotunnel | 74,851 | 69,375 | -5,476 |
| Thamesport | 33,535 | 93,614 | +60,079 |
| London | 9,514 | 76,939 | +67,425 |
| Belfast Port | 65,264 | 0 | -65,264 |
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
|
16 |
|
Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles
|
10 |
|
Other manufacturing
|
3 |
|
Accommodation
|
2 |
|
Food and beverage service activities
|
2 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-05 | 5 |
| 2026-04 | 5 |
| 2026-03 | 8 |
| 2026-02 | 6 |
| 2026-01 | 5 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| ESTEE LAUDER COSMETICS LIMITED | 36 |
| VESTEY FOODS UK LIMITED | 31 |
| SAINT GERMAIN LIMITED | 26 |
| B & M RETAIL LIMITED | 24 |
| DHIMAN ENTERPRISES LIMITED | 20 |
| SURVITEC GROUP LIMITED | 18 |
| B.C.B. INTERNATIONAL LIMITED | 17 |
| ARCHIVIST LIMITED | 16 |
| KOMBAT UK LIMITED | 14 |
| LIFEMARQUE LIMITED | 9 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 15 |
| 54m+ | 9 |
| 15m-54m | 7 |
| Other | 3 |
| 0-1m | 2 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| France | 2,777,939 |
| United States | 1,320,283 |
| Germany | 389,002 |
| Australia | 283,627 |
| Spain | 200,202 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 275,963 | 2,501,976 | +2,226,013 |
| United States | 643,260 | 677,023 | +33,763 |
| Germany | 171,527 | 217,475 | +45,948 |
| Australia | 246,061 | 37,566 | -208,495 |
| Spain | 111,729 | 88,473 | -23,256 |
| Netherlands | 106,021 | 84,516 | -21,505 |
| Switzerland | 72,714 | 100,282 | +27,568 |
| Sweden | 86,333 | 79,842 | -6,491 |
| Ireland | 73,370 | 76,025 | +2,655 |
| United Arab Emirates | 23,099 | 90,373 | +67,274 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Sweden | 27,272 |
| XI | 9,906 |
| Ireland | 3,414 |
| Belgium | 1,414 |
| China | 910 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 15,096 | 12,176 | -2,920 |
| XI | 5,755 | 4,151 | -1,604 |
| Ireland | 2,200 | 1,214 | -986 |
| Belgium | 1,010 | 404 | -606 |
| China | 594 | 316 | -278 |
| Germany | 6 | 198 | +192 |
Export volume by transport
What this shows: Export value by transport mode used to ship goods from the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Air transport | 4,734,147 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,509,082 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 284,002 |
| Other | 46,407 |
| Road transport | 1,020 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air transport | 1,219,505 | 3,514,642 | +2,295,137 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 595,650 | 913,432 | +317,782 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 256,490 | 27,512 | -228,978 |
| Other | 26,499 | 19,908 | -6,591 |
| Road transport | 0 | 1,020 | +1,020 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| East Midlands Airport | 4,156,312 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 1,431,031 |
| Felixstowe | 230,678 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 198,028 |
| ZLC | 180,793 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands Airport | 968,686 | 3,187,626 | +2,218,940 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 550,872 | 880,159 | +329,287 |
| Felixstowe | 227,280 | 3,398 | -223,882 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 54,528 | 143,500 | +88,972 |
| ZLC | 42,522 | 138,271 | +95,749 |
| Manchester Airport | 92,364 | 25,577 | -66,787 |
| London Stansted Airport | 61,405 | 20,688 | -40,717 |
| 000 | 26,499 | 19,908 | -6,591 |
| Holyhead | 17,162 | 21,585 | +4,423 |
| London Gateway Port | 19,156 | 9,065 | -10,091 |
Quick facts
HS code: 3605
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Regular matches used for lighting fires, not including pyrotechnic items like fireworks