Import/export HS code 811231: Raw metals, powders, and scrap
Unprocessed metals, powders, or recyclable materials
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| China | 30,904,994 |
| Germany | 19,638,722 |
| Estonia | 11,497,287 |
| France | 10,959,959 |
| United States | 10,068,917 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 15,838,097 | 15,066,897 | -771,200 |
| Germany | 7,642,184 | 11,996,538 | +4,354,354 |
| Estonia | 0 | 11,497,287 | +11,497,287 |
| France | 4,137,130 | 6,822,829 | +2,685,699 |
| United States | 770,016 | 9,298,901 | +8,528,885 |
| Netherlands | 2,913,381 | 3,071,295 | +157,914 |
| Thailand | 969,523 | 3,032,323 | +2,062,800 |
| Switzerland | 647,625 | 598,909 | -48,716 |
| Ireland | 0 | 174,373 | +174,373 |
| Japan | 6,069 | 8,779 | +2,710 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| China | 37,218,357 |
| Germany | 15,894,221 |
| France | 11,204,574 |
| United States | 8,706,775 |
| Ethiopia | 7,162,461 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 20,091,073 | 17,127,284 | -2,963,789 |
| Germany | 3,561,419 | 12,332,802 | +8,771,383 |
| France | 2,841,138 | 8,363,436 | +5,522,298 |
| United States | 771,600 | 7,935,175 | +7,163,575 |
| Ethiopia | 0 | 7,162,461 | +7,162,461 |
| Estonia | 820,484 | 4,996,921 | +4,176,437 |
| Thailand | 969,523 | 3,032,323 | +2,062,800 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 2,463,134 | 0 | -2,463,134 |
| Kazakhstan | 1,290,839 | 0 | -1,290,839 |
| Switzerland | 0 | 567,290 | +567,290 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Gloucestershire and Wiltshire | 2 |
| Inner London - West | 2 |
| North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset | 2 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 1 |
| East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire | 1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gloucestershire and Wiltshire | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Inner London - West | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| Essex | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 0 | 1 | +1 |
| West Yorkshire | 1 | 1 | +0 |
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) | 45,573,019 |
| Air transport | 42,526,998 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 4,936,940 |
| Other | 1,455,199 |
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) | 11,310,784 | 34,262,235 | +22,951,451 |
| Air transport | 19,397,225 | 23,129,773 | +3,732,548 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 762,601 | 4,174,339 | +3,411,738 |
| Other | 1,453,415 | 1,784 | -1,451,631 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 21,870,100 |
| Manchester Airport | 20,086,866 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 19,362,703 |
| Dover | 19,259,734 |
| 499 | 3,503,465 |
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 | 2,958,529 | 18,911,571 | +15,953,042 |
| Manchester Airport | 10,333,304 | 9,753,562 | -579,742 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 8,807,924 | 10,554,779 | +1,746,855 |
| Dover | 4,983,345 | 14,276,389 | +9,293,044 |
| 499 | 0 | 3,503,465 | +3,503,465 |
| East Midlands Airport | 254,312 | 2,752,888 | +2,498,576 |
| Eurotunnel | 1,820,616 | 676,341 | -1,144,275 |
| 000 | 1,453,415 | 1,784 | -1,451,631 |
| London | 1,121,564 | 0 | -1,121,564 |
| Felixstowe | 322,768 | 501,518 | +178,750 |
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 | 7 |
| Manufacture of basic metals | 2 |
| Waste collection, treatment and disposal activities; materials recovery | 2 |
| Activities of head offices; management consultancy activities | 1 |
| Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products | 1 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-04 | 5 |
| 2026-03 | 6 |
| 2026-02 | 6 |
| 2026-01 | 4 |
| 2025-12 | 5 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| ICD EUROPE LTD. | 37 |
| AVON SPECIALTY METALS LIMITED | 31 |
| ADVANCED ALLOY SERVICES LIMITED | 24 |
| ROSS & CATHERALL LIMITED | 15 |
| S.J.M. ALLOYS & METALS LIMITED | 14 |
| WOGEN SERVICES LIMITED | 9 |
| UMICORE UK LTD | 5 |
| AVON METALS LIMITED | 4 |
| GOOCH & HOUSEGO (UK) LIMITED | 4 |
| CCMA UK LTD | 1 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 4 |
| 54m+ | 4 |
| 15m-54m | 3 |
| Other | 1 |
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 | 24,602,376 |
| United States | 14,529,503 |
| Australia | 12,683,934 |
| France | 3,871,951 |
| Netherlands | 1,281,714 |
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 | 6,380,318 | 18,222,058 | +11,841,740 |
| United States | 11,075,992 | 3,453,511 | -7,622,481 |
| Australia | 8,685,111 | 3,998,823 | -4,686,288 |
| France | 2,226,884 | 1,645,067 | -581,817 |
| Netherlands | 773,324 | 508,390 | -264,934 |
| Japan | 1,023,039 | 18,603 | -1,004,436 |
| Taiwan | 693,518 | 0 | -693,518 |
| Ireland | 295,404 | 0 | -295,404 |
| Austria | 0 | 164,658 | +164,658 |
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 | 30,377,856 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 25,499,013 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 3,287,831 |
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 | 21,107,830 | 9,270,026 | -11,837,804 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 7,899,859 | 17,599,154 | +9,699,295 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 2,145,901 | 1,141,930 | -1,003,971 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Manchester Airport | 15,260,848 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 15,049,980 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 9,891,401 |
| Dover | 7,529,239 |
| Eurotunnel | 5,012,434 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester Airport | 11,223,511 | 4,037,337 | -7,186,174 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 9,869,198 | 5,180,782 | -4,688,416 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 4,810,896 | 5,080,505 | +269,609 |
| Dover | 1,818,766 | 5,710,473 | +3,891,707 |
| Eurotunnel | 0 | 5,012,434 | +5,012,434 |
| Southampton | 2,145,901 | 1,141,930 | -1,003,971 |
| Felixstowe | 1,068,728 | 508,390 | -560,338 |
| Immingham Docks | 201,469 | 1,186,155 | +984,686 |
| Harwich | 0 | 101,197 | +101,197 |
| East Midlands Airport | 0 | 37,067 | +37,067 |
Quick facts
HS code: 811231
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Unprocessed metals, powders, or recyclable materials