Import/export HS code 7218: Stainless steel in primary forms
Stainless steel in basic shapes like ingots, blocks, or semi-finished products
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 | 25,797,275 |
| Italy | 15,885,941 |
| Spain | 7,080,995 |
| United States | 4,220,473 |
| Germany | 3,954,501 |
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 | 13,383,943 | 12,413,332 | -970,611 |
| Italy | 10,867,571 | 5,018,370 | -5,849,201 |
| Spain | 5,573,462 | 1,507,533 | -4,065,929 |
| United States | 3,580,779 | 639,694 | -2,941,085 |
| Germany | 1,275,709 | 2,678,792 | +1,403,083 |
| China | 1,480,011 | 908,299 | -571,712 |
| Taiwan | 1,233,021 | 1,056,474 | -176,547 |
| Netherlands | 427,448 | 1,123,415 | +695,967 |
| France | 444,751 | 443,264 | -1,487 |
| Malaysia | 647,385 | 53,963 | -593,422 |
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 | 26,561,865 |
| Italy | 15,904,046 |
| Spain | 5,474,948 |
| United States | 3,719,072 |
| United Kingdom | 2,911,160 |
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 | 14,445,224 | 12,116,641 | -2,328,583 |
| Italy | 10,837,281 | 5,066,765 | -5,770,516 |
| Spain | 4,470,520 | 1,004,428 | -3,466,092 |
| United States | 3,292,340 | 426,732 | -2,865,608 |
| United Kingdom | 203,188 | 2,707,972 | +2,504,784 |
| China | 1,705,214 | 1,086,062 | -619,152 |
| Germany | 1,724,663 | 858,027 | -866,636 |
| Taiwan | 1,233,021 | 1,056,474 | -176,547 |
| Netherlands | 408,715 | 1,203,065 | +794,350 |
| Malaysia | 653,875 | 90,228 | -563,647 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 11 |
| West Midlands | 9 |
| Inner London - East | 8 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 8 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 7 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 7 | 7 | +0 |
| West Midlands | 9 | 3 | -6 |
| Inner London - East | 4 | 7 | +3 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 7 | 6 | -1 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 4 | 4 | +0 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 3 | 5 | +2 |
| Gloucestershire and Wiltshire | 5 | 4 | -1 |
| Greater Manchester | 6 | 0 | -6 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 3 | 4 | +1 |
| North Eastern Scotland | 5 | 1 | -4 |
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) | 37,893,823 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 24,509,056 |
| Air transport | 4,240,930 |
| Other | 1,224,658 |
| Road transport | 8,931 |
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) | 23,195,552 | 14,698,271 | -8,497,281 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 13,728,886 | 10,780,170 | -2,948,716 |
| Air transport | 2,574,054 | 1,666,876 | -907,178 |
| Other | 1,023,127 | 201,531 | -821,596 |
| Road transport | 5,501 | 3,430 | -2,071 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 30,828,315 |
| Eurotunnel | 8,557,323 |
| Dover | 8,473,933 |
| Poole | 3,443,542 |
| Felixstowe | 2,889,176 |
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 | 16,559,008 | 14,269,307 | -2,289,701 |
| Eurotunnel | 5,662,172 | 2,895,151 | -2,767,021 |
| Dover | 5,197,064 | 3,276,869 | -1,920,195 |
| Poole | 2,482,423 | 961,119 | -1,521,304 |
| Felixstowe | 1,760,908 | 1,128,268 | -632,640 |
| Portsmouth | 2,726,448 | 3,681 | -2,722,767 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 1,125,980 | 602,741 | -523,239 |
| East Midlands Airport | 852,818 | 814,320 | -38,498 |
| Hull | 72,178 | 1,298,974 | +1,226,796 |
| Southampton | 832,848 | 409,365 | -423,483 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
| Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment | 28 |
| Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. | 25 |
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 25 |
| Other manufacturing | 16 |
| Manufacture of basic metals | 9 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 19 |
| 2025-11 | 24 |
| 2025-10 | 22 |
| 2025-09 | 20 |
| 2025-08 | 21 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| TRELLEBORG SEALING SOLUTIONS UK LIMITED | 102 |
| PEKTRON GROUP LIMITED | 64 |
| KOHLER MIRA LIMITED | 47 |
| SPECIAL MELTED PRODUCTS LIMITED | 46 |
| ICHOR SYSTEMS LTD | 40 |
| EUROPEAN SAFETY SYSTEMS LIMITED | 37 |
| DONCASTERS LIMITED | 37 |
| SPECIALITY STEEL UK LIMITED | 35 |
| DDC DOLPHIN LIMITED | 33 |
| FREELANCE SURGICAL LIMITED | 32 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 54m+ | 63 |
| 1m-15m | 51 |
| 15m-54m | 22 |
| 0-1m | 14 |
| Other | 12 |
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 | 489,461,187 |
| Sweden | 262,073,937 |
| United States | 91,172,690 |
| Spain | 49,804,073 |
| Italy | 35,341,961 |
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 | 298,555,795 | 190,905,392 | -107,650,403 |
| Sweden | 181,023,326 | 81,050,611 | -99,972,715 |
| United States | 65,916,907 | 25,255,783 | -40,661,124 |
| Spain | 41,918,143 | 7,885,930 | -34,032,213 |
| Italy | 15,374,938 | 19,967,023 | +4,592,085 |
| Portugal | 19,445,959 | 8,138,531 | -11,307,428 |
| India | 3,521,876 | 2,531,979 | -989,897 |
| South Korea | 3,432,744 | 2,221,664 | -1,211,080 |
| France | 3,386,299 | 1,311,323 | -2,074,976 |
| Germany | 2,718,949 | 1,895,513 | -823,436 |
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 | 34,378 |
| Italy | 198 |
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 | 20,583 | 13,795 | -6,788 |
| Italy | 198 | 0 | -198 |
Export volume by transport
What this shows: Export value by transport mode used to ship goods from the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 721,659,055 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 273,930,764 |
| Air transport | 11,912,648 |
| Other | 35,946 |
| Road transport | 28,923 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 448,356,333 | 273,302,722 | -175,053,611 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 195,156,288 | 78,774,476 | -116,381,812 |
| Air transport | 5,294,156 | 6,618,492 | +1,324,336 |
| Other | 22,151 | 13,795 | -8,356 |
| Road transport | 28,923 | 0 | -28,923 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 664,900,247 |
| Hull | 114,677,768 |
| Liverpool Docks | 74,314,807 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 70,000,446 |
| Avonmouth Docks | 45,606,897 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 464,162,458 | 200,737,789 | -263,424,669 |
| Hull | 30,534,788 | 84,142,980 | +53,608,192 |
| Liverpool Docks | 52,126,384 | 22,188,423 | -29,937,961 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 44,470,475 | 25,529,971 | -18,940,504 |
| Avonmouth Docks | 38,289,229 | 7,317,668 | -30,971,561 |
| Southampton | 5,031,671 | 6,572,861 | +1,541,190 |
| London Gateway Port | 5,588,162 | 1,986,648 | -3,601,514 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 2,663,301 | 3,240,352 | +577,051 |
| Manchester Airport | 1,124,662 | 2,092,679 | +968,017 |
| Felixstowe | 2,014,403 | 646,936 | -1,367,467 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
Quick facts
HS code: 7218
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Stainless steel in basic shapes like ingots, blocks, or semi-finished products