Import/export HS code 8456: Advanced material-working machines
Machines that shape materials using lasers, light beams, ultrasonic waves, or water jets
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Switzerland | 45,813,328 |
| Germany | 43,369,160 |
| China | 37,950,181 |
| France | 19,694,900 |
| Netherlands | 17,955,547 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 22,628,108 | 23,185,220 | +557,112 |
| Germany | 20,279,186 | 23,089,974 | +2,810,788 |
| China | 19,233,428 | 18,716,753 | -516,675 |
| France | 10,148,029 | 9,546,871 | -601,158 |
| Netherlands | 8,677,076 | 9,278,471 | +601,395 |
| Italy | 6,693,748 | 10,878,833 | +4,185,085 |
| Belgium | 7,783,617 | 4,835,867 | -2,947,750 |
| United States | 4,108,915 | 3,871,654 | -237,261 |
| Japan | 3,574,264 | 3,719,075 | +144,811 |
| Turkey | 2,095,359 | 3,187,720 | +1,092,361 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Switzerland | 46,882,743 |
| China | 44,894,453 |
| Germany | 38,025,048 |
| Japan | 32,927,231 |
| Italy | 18,057,449 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 22,760,628 | 24,122,115 | +1,361,487 |
| China | 22,101,239 | 22,793,214 | +691,975 |
| Germany | 17,059,623 | 20,965,425 | +3,905,802 |
| Japan | 17,983,295 | 14,943,936 | -3,039,359 |
| Italy | 7,087,859 | 10,969,590 | +3,881,731 |
| United States | 6,354,280 | 6,314,431 | -39,849 |
| Turkey | 2,179,385 | 3,237,356 | +1,057,971 |
| Netherlands | 3,508,760 | 1,884,168 | -1,624,592 |
| Thailand | 2,127,051 | 2,936,646 | +809,595 |
| Spain | 1,527,667 | 2,512,187 | +984,520 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester | 38 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 36 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 34 |
| West Yorkshire | 30 |
| Inner London - West | 27 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Manchester | 20 | 24 | +4 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 25 | 25 | +0 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 18 | 26 | +8 |
| West Yorkshire | 21 | 20 | -1 |
| Inner London - West | 12 | 17 | +5 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 16 | 16 | +0 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 14 | 18 | +4 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 19 | 16 | -3 |
| West Midlands | 13 | 18 | +5 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 12 | 12 | +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) | 157,044,758 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 51,629,198 |
| Air transport | 30,124,250 |
| Road transport | 1,841,477 |
| Other | 816,647 |
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) | 74,477,909 | 82,566,849 | +8,088,940 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 27,208,823 | 24,420,375 | -2,788,448 |
| Air transport | 13,682,828 | 16,441,422 | +2,758,594 |
| Road transport | 854,835 | 986,642 | +131,807 |
| Other | 479,657 | 336,990 | -142,667 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover | 62,591,778 |
| ZLC | 58,602,694 |
| Felixstowe | 19,889,013 |
| Eurotunnel | 12,566,584 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 12,354,428 |
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 | 31,443,088 | 31,148,690 | -294,398 |
| ZLC | 27,709,038 | 30,893,656 | +3,184,618 |
| Felixstowe | 9,478,227 | 10,410,786 | +932,559 |
| Eurotunnel | 6,544,867 | 6,021,717 | -523,150 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 5,299,834 | 7,054,594 | +1,754,760 |
| Southampton | 5,289,273 | 4,679,620 | -609,653 |
| Birmingham Airport | 4,066,500 | 3,838,492 | -228,008 |
| London | 4,222,566 | 2,787,383 | -1,435,183 |
| Immingham Docks | 2,000,742 | 4,604,316 | +2,603,574 |
| Tyne | 5,359,567 | 569,475 | -4,790,092 |
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 | 143 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 79 |
| Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. | 68 |
| Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment | 53 |
| Other manufacturing | 46 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-04 | 67 |
| 2026-03 | 77 |
| 2026-02 | 79 |
| 2026-01 | 67 |
| 2025-12 | 54 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| KEYENCE (UK) LIMITED | 115 |
| LINX PRINTING TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED | 90 |
| TRUMPF LIMITED | 80 |
| MANTECH (U.K.) LIMITED | 79 |
| GRAFITYP (UK) LIMITED | 75 |
| UNITED MACHINING UK LIMITED | 73 |
| AMADA UNITED KINGDOM LIMITED | 60 |
| BYSTRONIC UK LIMITED | 59 |
| TROTEC LASER LIMITED | 54 |
| ESAB GROUP (UK) LIMITED | 53 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 273 |
| 54m+ | 146 |
| 0-1m | 104 |
| 15m-54m | 55 |
| Other | 25 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| United States | 33,933,151 |
| China | 19,485,804 |
| Germany | 15,468,488 |
| Ireland | 9,080,901 |
| Netherlands | 6,714,597 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 18,667,272 | 15,265,879 | -3,401,393 |
| China | 11,885,037 | 7,600,767 | -4,284,270 |
| Germany | 9,185,805 | 6,282,683 | -2,903,122 |
| Ireland | 5,572,324 | 3,508,577 | -2,063,747 |
| Netherlands | 3,389,553 | 3,325,044 | -64,509 |
| India | 3,385,054 | 1,447,136 | -1,937,918 |
| Costa Rica | 2,451,723 | 313,584 | -2,138,139 |
| Australia | 1,440,450 | 1,241,575 | -198,875 |
| France | 1,647,864 | 1,030,330 | -617,534 |
| Italy | 973,025 | 1,193,862 | +220,837 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Nicaragua | 20,963 |
| China | 13,268 |
| Australia | 10,769 |
| Switzerland | 1,936 |
| United States | 555 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicaragua | 0 | 20,963 | +20,963 |
| China | 4,834 | 8,434 | +3,600 |
| Australia | 10,769 | 0 | -10,769 |
| Switzerland | 1,936 | 0 | -1,936 |
| United States | 555 | 0 | -555 |
| Spain | 238 | 0 | -238 |
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) | 49,364,975 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 43,848,507 |
| Air transport | 38,993,585 |
| Other | 53,931 |
| Road transport | 1,067 |
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) | 28,593,425 | 20,771,550 | -7,821,875 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 26,353,392 | 17,495,115 | -8,858,277 |
| Air transport | 22,319,896 | 16,673,689 | -5,646,207 |
| Other | 22,003 | 31,928 | +9,925 |
| Road transport | 1,067 | 0 | -1,067 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 31,190,543 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 26,833,704 |
| Southampton | 17,853,789 |
| London Gateway Port | 12,865,605 |
| Felixstowe | 10,186,333 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 18,222,054 | 12,968,489 | -5,253,565 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 14,826,883 | 12,006,821 | -2,820,062 |
| Southampton | 11,293,765 | 6,560,024 | -4,733,741 |
| London Gateway Port | 7,585,890 | 5,279,715 | -2,306,175 |
| Felixstowe | 6,010,850 | 4,175,483 | -1,835,367 |
| Liverpool Docks | 3,807,783 | 4,166,500 | +358,717 |
| Holyhead | 3,784,371 | 1,523,373 | -2,260,998 |
| East Midlands Airport | 2,349,947 | 2,162,720 | -187,227 |
| Immingham Docks | 2,370,824 | 1,392,957 | -977,867 |
| Dover | 1,625,262 | 398,202 | -1,227,060 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
Quick facts
HS code: 8456
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Machines that shape materials using lasers, light beams, ultrasonic waves, or water jets