Import/export HS code 81129240: Niobium (columbium)
A rare metal used in alloys and industrial applications
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 | 4,156,270 |
| Thailand | 2,839,450 |
| United States | 461,235 |
| Netherlands | 397,929 |
| Japan | 198,356 |
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 | 1,709,278 | 2,446,992 | +737,714 |
| Thailand | 753,928 | 2,085,522 | +1,331,594 |
| United States | 150,821 | 310,414 | +159,593 |
| Netherlands | 295,826 | 102,103 | -193,723 |
| Japan | 198,356 | 0 | -198,356 |
| Germany | 157,171 | 0 | -157,171 |
| France | 47,238 | 23,302 | -23,936 |
| Estonia | 0 | 47,912 | +47,912 |
| Spain | 0 | 20,077 | +20,077 |
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 | 5,017,859 |
| Thailand | 2,531,896 |
| United States | 310,017 |
| Germany | 204,409 |
| Japan | 198,356 |
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 | 2,451,770 | 2,566,089 | +114,319 |
| Thailand | 446,374 | 2,085,522 | +1,639,148 |
| United States | 6,346 | 303,671 | +297,325 |
| Germany | 204,409 | 0 | -204,409 |
| Japan | 198,356 | 0 | -198,356 |
| Estonia | 0 | 47,912 | +47,912 |
| France | 0 | 23,302 | +23,302 |
| Brazil | 5,363 | 8,411 | +3,048 |
| United Kingdom | 0 | 1,415 | +1,415 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire | 1 |
| Essex | 1 |
| Kent | 1 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 1 |
| South East Wales | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| Essex | 0 | 1 | +1 |
| Kent | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 0 | 1 | +1 |
| South East Wales | 0 | 1 | +1 |
| West Midlands | 0 | 1 | +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) | 6,835,689 |
| Air transport | 839,699 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 673,552 |
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) | 2,283,098 | 4,552,591 | +2,269,493 |
| Air transport | 529,285 | 310,414 | -218,871 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 500,235 | 173,317 | -326,918 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Felixstowe | 6,058,653 |
| Southampton | 447,385 |
| Immingham Docks | 315,451 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 287,627 |
| Thamesport | 260,395 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Felixstowe | 1,684,551 | 4,374,102 | +2,689,551 |
| Southampton | 447,385 | 0 | -447,385 |
| Immingham Docks | 247,342 | 68,109 | -179,233 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 224,032 | 63,595 | -160,437 |
| Thamesport | 0 | 260,395 | +260,395 |
| London Stansted Airport | 0 | 207,152 | +207,152 |
| East Midlands Airport | 198,356 | 1,415 | -196,941 |
| Fishguard | 199,646 | 0 | -199,646 |
| Manchester Airport | 106,897 | 38,252 | -68,645 |
| Dover | 73,878 | 23,302 | -50,576 |
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 | 4 |
| Manufacture of basic metals | 1 |
| Manufacture of electrical equipment | 1 |
| Other manufacturing | 1 |
| Waste collection, treatment and disposal activities; materials recovery | 1 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 1 |
| 2025-11 | 2 |
| 2025-08 | 2 |
| 2025-07 | 4 |
| 2025-06 | 3 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 15m-54m | 2 |
| 1m-15m | 2 |
| 54m+ | 2 |
| 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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Italy | 983,625 |
| United States | 509,550 |
| India | 286,209 |
| France | 223,572 |
| Germany | 135,427 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 715,045 | 268,580 | -446,465 |
| United States | 110,272 | 399,278 | +289,006 |
| India | 234,168 | 52,041 | -182,127 |
| France | 72,459 | 151,113 | +78,654 |
| Germany | 26,382 | 109,045 | +82,663 |
| Spain | 82,371 | 12,105 | -70,266 |
| Japan | 0 | 64,521 | +64,521 |
| Sweden | 0 | 3,418 | +3,418 |
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) | 1,186,513 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 674,597 |
| Air transport | 439,688 |
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) | 796,783 | 389,730 | -407,053 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 280,574 | 394,023 | +113,449 |
| Air transport | 163,340 | 276,348 | +113,008 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 1,124,940 |
| Southampton | 341,982 |
| East Midlands Airport | 288,763 |
| London Gateway Port | 234,168 |
| Felixstowe | 98,447 |
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 | 749,891 | 375,049 | -374,842 |
| Southampton | 0 | 341,982 | +341,982 |
| East Midlands Airport | 88,949 | 199,814 | +110,865 |
| London Gateway Port | 234,168 | 0 | -234,168 |
| Felixstowe | 46,406 | 52,041 | +5,635 |
| Manchester Airport | 0 | 64,521 | +64,521 |
| Dover | 46,892 | 14,681 | -32,211 |
| London Stansted Airport | 49,234 | 4,519 | -44,715 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 22,080 | 7,494 | -14,586 |
| ZLC | 3,077 | 0 | -3,077 |
Quick facts
HS code: 81129240
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: A rare metal used in alloys and industrial applications