Import/export HS code 39: Plastics and plastic products
All types of plastics and items made from plastic, including raw materials and finished goods
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 | 4,421,428,058 |
| China | 3,679,797,466 |
| Netherlands | 2,780,713,922 |
| Belgium | 2,602,130,244 |
| France | 2,313,339,238 |
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 | 2,384,782,991 | 2,036,645,067 | -348,137,924 |
| China | 2,044,688,599 | 1,635,108,867 | -409,579,732 |
| Netherlands | 1,533,137,801 | 1,247,576,121 | -285,561,680 |
| Belgium | 1,465,995,153 | 1,136,135,091 | -329,860,062 |
| France | 1,305,533,342 | 1,007,805,896 | -297,727,446 |
| United States | 1,091,218,572 | 893,944,816 | -197,273,756 |
| Italy | 602,793,480 | 528,396,250 | -74,397,230 |
| Ireland | 550,616,991 | 470,542,322 | -80,074,669 |
| Turkey | 482,699,709 | 419,987,288 | -62,712,421 |
| Poland | 453,761,040 | 390,399,162 | -63,361,878 |
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 | 4,390,395,017 |
| China | 4,297,696,717 |
| United States | 2,493,804,875 |
| France | 1,718,825,718 |
| Netherlands | 1,702,342,866 |
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 | 2,397,017,793 | 1,993,377,224 | -403,640,569 |
| China | 2,368,943,653 | 1,928,753,064 | -440,190,589 |
| United States | 1,371,770,812 | 1,122,034,063 | -249,736,749 |
| France | 940,844,704 | 777,981,014 | -162,863,690 |
| Netherlands | 958,892,032 | 743,450,834 | -215,441,198 |
| Belgium | 930,109,876 | 765,991,810 | -164,118,066 |
| Italy | 693,110,395 | 598,294,858 | -94,815,537 |
| Turkey | 500,344,214 | 432,920,720 | -67,423,494 |
| Poland | 491,213,070 | 416,240,535 | -74,972,535 |
| Spain | 449,993,059 | 371,531,529 | -78,461,530 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 1321 |
| Greater Manchester | 1091 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 1074 |
| West Midlands | 875 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 801 |
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 | 983 | 961 | -22 |
| Greater Manchester | 893 | 825 | -68 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 877 | 839 | -38 |
| West Midlands | 695 | 655 | -40 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 634 | 606 | -28 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 615 | 580 | -35 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 633 | 592 | -41 |
| West Yorkshire | 639 | 593 | -46 |
| Inner London - East | 547 | 517 | -30 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 560 | 542 | -18 |
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) | 13,379,646,052 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 10,812,219,726 |
| Air transport | 2,173,795,769 |
| Other | 1,460,726,255 |
| Road transport | 332,040,525 |
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) | 7,330,257,471 | 6,049,388,581 | -1,280,868,890 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 5,857,952,639 | 4,954,267,087 | -903,685,552 |
| Air transport | 1,163,561,550 | 1,010,234,219 | -153,327,331 |
| Other | 911,306,143 | 549,420,112 | -361,886,031 |
| Road transport | 152,707,695 | 179,332,830 | +26,625,135 |
| Rail transport | 12,365,669 | 5,593,788 | -6,771,881 |
| Own propulsion (e.g. imported vehicle driven across land boundary) | 0 | 3,677,846 | +3,677,846 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover | 4,706,603,422 |
| Felixstowe | 3,698,580,541 |
| Immingham Docks | 3,048,891,533 |
| Southampton | 1,937,995,535 |
| Eurotunnel | 1,580,645,281 |
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 | 2,522,895,837 | 2,183,707,585 | -339,188,252 |
| Felixstowe | 2,135,933,740 | 1,562,646,801 | -573,286,939 |
| Immingham Docks | 1,597,222,678 | 1,451,668,855 | -145,553,823 |
| Southampton | 1,079,889,781 | 858,105,754 | -221,784,027 |
| Eurotunnel | 874,328,064 | 706,317,217 | -168,010,847 |
| 000 | 910,431,843 | 537,191,396 | -373,240,447 |
| London | 770,629,340 | 631,620,104 | -139,009,236 |
| London Gateway Port | 579,266,584 | 697,697,466 | +118,430,882 |
| Middlesbrough | 562,574,077 | 378,225,424 | -184,348,653 |
| Hull | 516,264,323 | 375,642,522 | -140,621,801 |
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 | 5565 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 3153 |
| Other manufacturing | 1280 |
| Office administrative, office support and other business support activities | 983 |
| Manufacture of rubber and plastic products | 900 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 5533 |
| 2025-11 | 6035 |
| 2025-10 | 6398 |
| 2025-09 | 6005 |
| 2025-08 | 5871 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| NESTLE UK LTD. | 120 |
| MEDIQ HEALTHCARE UK LIMITED | 120 |
| T.J.SMITH AND NEPHEW,LIMITED | 120 |
| HALFORDS LIMITED | 120 |
| MARKS AND SPENCER P.L.C. | 120 |
| JOHN LEWIS PLC | 120 |
| INNOVIA FILMS LIMITED | 120 |
| KENDON PACKAGING GROUP PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY | 120 |
| INNOSPEC LIMITED | 120 |
| GKN AEROSPACE SERVICES LIMITED | 120 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 8618 |
| 54m+ | 3989 |
| 0-1m | 3569 |
| 15m-54m | 2002 |
| Other | 1149 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Germany | 1,965,637,705 |
| Ireland | 1,672,448,868 |
| United States | 1,586,523,918 |
| France | 1,290,725,090 |
| Netherlands | 1,242,637,305 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 1,044,332,749 | 921,304,956 | -123,027,793 |
| Ireland | 894,690,103 | 777,758,765 | -116,931,338 |
| United States | 876,738,649 | 709,785,269 | -166,953,380 |
| France | 737,322,559 | 553,402,531 | -183,920,028 |
| Netherlands | 664,336,678 | 578,300,627 | -86,036,051 |
| Belgium | 611,431,538 | 486,144,072 | -125,287,466 |
| Italy | 337,861,179 | 274,719,052 | -63,142,127 |
| Spain | 287,969,598 | 242,279,181 | -45,690,417 |
| Poland | 278,904,877 | 248,044,007 | -30,860,870 |
| China | 282,671,457 | 231,620,909 | -51,050,548 |
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 | 445,532,878 |
| Belgium | 28,588,033 |
| China | 27,475,990 |
| Ireland | 26,772,364 |
| Nicaragua | 22,893,641 |
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 | 238,299,423 | 207,233,455 | -31,065,968 |
| Belgium | 15,188,101 | 13,399,932 | -1,788,169 |
| China | 14,533,631 | 12,942,359 | -1,591,272 |
| Ireland | 12,979,027 | 13,793,337 | +814,310 |
| Nicaragua | 12,647,011 | 10,246,630 | -2,400,381 |
| Czechia | 10,862,314 | 9,543,893 | -1,318,421 |
| Italy | 3,342,122 | 2,351,173 | -990,949 |
| United States | 3,539,586 | 1,939,274 | -1,600,312 |
| Germany | 2,495,462 | 2,080,295 | -415,167 |
| Poland | 2,930,190 | 871,718 | -2,058,472 |
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) | 8,712,316,430 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 4,722,659,372 |
| Air transport | 2,130,173,222 |
| Other | 739,860,498 |
| Road transport | 6,638,004 |
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) | 4,693,849,147 | 4,018,467,283 | -675,381,864 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 2,706,573,310 | 2,016,086,062 | -690,487,248 |
| Air transport | 1,125,868,025 | 1,004,305,197 | -121,562,828 |
| Other | 395,990,658 | 343,869,840 | -52,120,818 |
| Road transport | 5,712,669 | 925,335 | -4,787,334 |
| Rail transport | 421,265 | 119,474 | -301,791 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 4,944,422,170 |
| Immingham Docks | 1,614,394,258 |
| London Gateway Port | 1,192,125,668 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 956,563,847 |
| Southampton | 927,485,000 |
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 | 2,696,570,547 | 2,247,851,623 | -448,718,924 |
| Immingham Docks | 896,341,531 | 718,052,727 | -178,288,804 |
| London Gateway Port | 691,704,110 | 500,421,558 | -191,282,552 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 515,331,269 | 441,232,578 | -74,098,691 |
| Southampton | 461,728,104 | 465,756,896 | +4,028,792 |
| Felixstowe | 521,064,017 | 325,638,523 | -195,425,494 |
| 000 | 394,303,455 | 334,203,729 | -60,099,726 |
| Liverpool Docks | 398,190,220 | 328,189,670 | -70,000,550 |
| Holyhead | 287,248,929 | 264,730,271 | -22,518,658 |
| East Midlands Airport | 300,002,539 | 251,625,015 | -48,377,524 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
- 3901 – Ethylene polymers in raw form
- 3902 – Plastic materials made from propylene or similar chemicals, in raw form
- 3903 – Plastic materials made from styrene, in raw form
- 3904 – Plastic materials made from vinyl chloride or similar chemicals
- 3905 – Plastics made from vinyl acetate
- 3906 – Acrylic polymers in basic forms
- 3907 – Plastics like polyacetals and polycarbonates
- 3908 – Plastic raw materials: Polyamides
- 3909 – Resins and polyurethanes in raw forms
- 3910 – Silicones in basic forms
- 3911 – Petroleum and other resins in basic forms
- 3912 – Basic forms of cellulose and its chemical derivatives
- 3913 – Natural and modified natural polymers
- 3914 – Plastic ion-exchangers in raw form
- 3915 – Plastic waste and scraps
- 3916 – Thick plastic monofilament, rods, sticks, and shaped profiles
- 3917 – Plastic tubes, pipes, hoses, and their fittings
- 3918 – Plastic floor and wall coverings
- 3919 – Self-adhesive plastic sheets
- 3920 – Plastic sheets and films
- 3921 – Plastic sheets, films, and strips
- 3922 – Plastic sanitary ware
- 3923 – Plastic packaging and transport items
- 3924 – Plastic household and toilet items
- 3925 – Plastic building products
- 3926 – Various plastic products
Quick facts
HS code: 39
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: All types of plastics and items made from plastic, including raw materials and finished goods