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 | 30,461,406 |
| Germany | 21,983,583 |
| Estonia | 12,087,759 |
| United States | 11,237,296 |
| France | 11,209,793 |
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 | 12,766,485 | 17,694,921 | +4,928,436 |
| Germany | 8,038,316 | 13,945,267 | +5,906,951 |
| Estonia | 0 | 12,087,759 | +12,087,759 |
| United States | 770,016 | 10,467,280 | +9,697,264 |
| France | 4,338,267 | 6,871,526 | +2,533,259 |
| Netherlands | 3,875,919 | 2,108,757 | -1,767,162 |
| Thailand | 969,523 | 3,032,323 | +2,062,800 |
| Switzerland | 647,625 | 3,207,486 | +2,559,861 |
| 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 | 37,007,544 |
| Germany | 18,239,082 |
| France | 12,223,989 |
| United States | 9,817,722 |
| 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 | 17,415,593 | 19,591,951 | +2,176,358 |
| Germany | 3,561,419 | 14,677,663 | +11,116,244 |
| France | 4,287,642 | 7,936,347 | +3,648,705 |
| United States | 771,600 | 9,046,122 | +8,274,522 |
| Ethiopia | 0 | 7,162,461 | +7,162,461 |
| Estonia | 1,124,920 | 4,925,298 | +3,800,378 |
| Thailand | 969,523 | 3,032,323 | +2,062,800 |
| Switzerland | 0 | 3,175,867 | +3,175,867 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 2,463,134 | 0 | -2,463,134 |
| Kazakhstan | 703,574 | 0 | -703,574 |
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) | 51,458,295 |
| Air transport | 43,102,825 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 4,994,372 |
| 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) | 11,812,364 | 39,645,931 | +27,833,567 |
| Air transport | 16,721,745 | 26,381,080 | +9,659,335 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,424,696 | 3,569,676 | +2,144,980 |
| 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 | 23,571,519 |
| Dover | 21,598,064 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 20,337,607 |
| Manchester Airport | 18,522,148 |
| Eurotunnel | 4,342,484 |
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 | 3,620,624 | 19,950,895 | +16,330,271 |
| Dover | 5,184,482 | 16,413,582 | +11,229,100 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 9,190,904 | 11,146,703 | +1,955,799 |
| Manchester Airport | 7,515,672 | 11,006,476 | +3,490,804 |
| Eurotunnel | 1,820,616 | 2,521,868 | +701,252 |
| East Midlands Airport | 13,484 | 4,159,357 | +4,145,873 |
| 499 | 0 | 3,560,897 | +3,560,897 |
| 000 | 1,453,415 | 1,784 | -1,451,631 |
| London | 1,121,564 | 0 | -1,121,564 |
| Felixstowe | 623,211 | 201,075 | -422,136 |
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 |
|---|---|
| 2026-05 | 5 |
| 2026-04 | 5 |
| 2026-03 | 6 |
| 2026-02 | 6 |
| 2026-01 | 4 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| ICD EUROPE LTD. | 38 |
| AVON SPECIALTY METALS LIMITED | 32 |
| ADVANCED ALLOY SERVICES LIMITED | 25 |
| S.J.M. ALLOYS & METALS LIMITED | 15 |
| ROSS & CATHERALL LIMITED | 15 |
| WOGEN SERVICES LIMITED | 10 |
| 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 |
|---|---|
| 15m-54m | 4 |
| 54m+ | 4 |
| 1m-15m | 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 | 24,356,486 |
| United States | 15,013,383 |
| Australia | 12,368,584 |
| France | 3,521,805 |
| 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 | 6,310,747 | 18,045,739 | +11,734,992 |
| United States | 10,188,283 | 4,825,100 | -5,363,183 |
| Australia | 7,684,677 | 4,683,907 | -3,000,770 |
| France | 1,876,738 | 1,645,067 | -231,671 |
| Netherlands | 908,505 | 373,209 | -535,296 |
| Japan | 886,606 | 211,167 | -675,439 |
| 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 | 30,136,052 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 25,262,036 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 3,395,237 |
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 | 18,847,043 | 11,289,009 | -7,558,034 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 7,851,534 | 17,410,502 | +9,558,968 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 2,145,901 | 1,249,336 | -896,565 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Manchester Airport | 15,581,903 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 14,294,557 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 8,670,188 |
| Dover | 8,513,475 |
| 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 | 9,595,299 | 5,986,604 | -3,608,695 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 9,218,159 | 5,076,398 | -4,141,761 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 3,442,437 | 5,227,751 | +1,785,314 |
| Dover | 1,818,766 | 6,694,709 | +4,875,943 |
| Eurotunnel | 0 | 5,012,434 | +5,012,434 |
| Southampton | 2,145,901 | 1,249,336 | -896,565 |
| Felixstowe | 1,203,909 | 373,209 | -830,700 |
| Immingham Docks | 1,386,422 | 1,202 | -1,385,220 |
| East Midlands Airport | 18,464 | 211,167 | +192,703 |
| Harwich | 0 | 101,197 | +101,197 |
Quick facts
HS code: 811231
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Unprocessed metals, powders, or recyclable materials