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 | 43,195,180 |
| Germany | 40,165,395 |
| China | 37,299,329 |
| France | 18,286,597 |
| Italy | 18,205,656 |
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 | 22,291,020 | 20,904,160 | -1,386,860 |
| Germany | 19,921,564 | 20,243,831 | +322,267 |
| China | 19,018,003 | 18,281,326 | -736,677 |
| France | 8,908,543 | 9,378,054 | +469,511 |
| Italy | 6,606,125 | 11,599,531 | +4,993,406 |
| Netherlands | 8,196,606 | 8,591,462 | +394,856 |
| Belgium | 9,232,878 | 3,105,329 | -6,127,549 |
| United States | 4,081,329 | 3,445,087 | -636,242 |
| Japan | 2,481,014 | 4,260,727 | +1,779,713 |
| Turkey | 1,686,211 | 3,195,987 | +1,509,776 |
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 | 44,555,994 |
| Switzerland | 44,327,736 |
| Germany | 35,233,956 |
| Japan | 30,371,058 |
| Italy | 18,888,308 |
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 | 22,010,636 | 22,545,358 | +534,722 |
| Switzerland | 21,933,051 | 22,394,685 | +461,634 |
| Germany | 17,997,762 | 17,236,194 | -761,568 |
| Japan | 15,757,054 | 14,614,004 | -1,143,050 |
| Italy | 6,746,845 | 12,141,463 | +5,394,618 |
| United States | 6,381,485 | 5,712,092 | -669,393 |
| Turkey | 1,770,237 | 3,327,182 | +1,556,945 |
| Thailand | 2,152,769 | 2,841,010 | +688,241 |
| Netherlands | 2,762,343 | 1,562,058 | -1,200,285 |
| Spain | 1,375,838 | 2,506,472 | +1,130,634 |
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 | 35 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 32 |
| Inner London - West | 29 |
| West Yorkshire | 29 |
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 | 23 | 20 | -3 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 27 | 25 | -2 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 16 | 25 | +9 |
| Inner London - West | 15 | 18 | +3 |
| West Yorkshire | 22 | 16 | -6 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 18 | 14 | -4 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 16 | 15 | -1 |
| West Midlands | 12 | 18 | +6 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 19 | 13 | -6 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 13 | 11 | -2 |
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) | 148,535,181 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 49,967,359 |
| Air transport | 28,842,500 |
| Road transport | 2,151,489 |
| Other | 801,735 |
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) | 73,441,092 | 75,094,089 | +1,652,997 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 26,024,064 | 23,943,295 | -2,080,769 |
| Air transport | 13,208,706 | 15,633,794 | +2,425,088 |
| Road transport | 894,826 | 1,256,663 | +361,837 |
| Other | 558,671 | 243,064 | -315,607 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover | 60,170,363 |
| ZLC | 56,006,300 |
| Felixstowe | 19,348,661 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 11,903,475 |
| Eurotunnel | 11,370,678 |
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 | 31,243,670 | 28,926,693 | -2,316,977 |
| ZLC | 27,247,171 | 28,759,129 | +1,511,958 |
| Felixstowe | 9,443,556 | 9,905,105 | +461,549 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 5,401,310 | 6,502,165 | +1,100,855 |
| Eurotunnel | 5,214,277 | 6,156,401 | +942,124 |
| Southampton | 3,637,988 | 5,219,932 | +1,581,944 |
| Birmingham Airport | 3,528,438 | 3,595,835 | +67,397 |
| Immingham Docks | 2,924,274 | 3,781,939 | +857,665 |
| London | 3,819,541 | 2,467,826 | -1,351,715 |
| Tyne | 5,095,944 | 569,475 | -4,526,469 |
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
|
145 |
|
Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles
|
73 |
|
Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c.
|
67 |
|
Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment
|
50 |
|
Other manufacturing
|
44 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-05 | 71 |
| 2026-04 | 67 |
| 2026-03 | 77 |
| 2026-02 | 79 |
| 2026-01 | 67 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| KEYENCE (UK) LIMITED | 116 |
| LINX PRINTING TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED | 91 |
| TRUMPF LIMITED | 81 |
| MANTECH (U.K.) LIMITED | 79 |
| GRAFITYP (UK) LIMITED | 75 |
| UNITED MACHINING UK LIMITED | 74 |
| AMADA UNITED KINGDOM LIMITED | 61 |
| BYSTRONIC UK LIMITED | 60 |
| TROTEC LASER LIMITED | 55 |
| 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 | 274 |
| 54m+ | 139 |
| 0-1m | 104 |
| 15m-54m | 51 |
| 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 | 31,668,946 |
| China | 17,992,317 |
| Germany | 14,895,300 |
| Ireland | 7,818,753 |
| Netherlands | 6,585,655 |
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 | 18,160,742 | 13,508,204 | -4,652,538 |
| China | 12,479,605 | 5,512,712 | -6,966,893 |
| Germany | 9,449,990 | 5,445,310 | -4,004,680 |
| Ireland | 4,508,218 | 3,310,535 | -1,197,683 |
| Netherlands | 3,485,198 | 3,100,457 | -384,741 |
| India | 3,185,587 | 1,500,533 | -1,685,054 |
| Costa Rica | 2,451,723 | 1,248,849 | -1,202,874 |
| France | 1,454,992 | 982,496 | -472,496 |
| Australia | 1,038,933 | 1,276,597 | +237,664 |
| Italy | 1,237,683 | 840,369 | -397,314 |
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 | 12,389 |
| 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 | 7,309 | 5,080 | -2,229 |
| 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) | 45,655,113 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 41,071,195 |
| Air transport | 36,608,770 |
| Other | 53,052 |
| 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) | 28,386,311 | 17,268,802 | -11,117,509 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 25,756,929 | 15,314,266 | -10,442,663 |
| Air transport | 21,211,262 | 15,397,508 | -5,813,754 |
| Other | 24,478 | 28,574 | +4,096 |
| 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 | 29,452,419 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 25,654,196 |
| Southampton | 15,731,164 |
| London Gateway Port | 12,010,490 |
| Felixstowe | 9,562,001 |
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 | 17,362,441 | 12,089,978 | -5,272,463 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 15,461,044 | 10,193,152 | -5,267,892 |
| Southampton | 10,099,504 | 5,631,660 | -4,467,844 |
| London Gateway Port | 6,496,545 | 5,513,945 | -982,600 |
| Felixstowe | 7,207,123 | 2,354,878 | -4,852,245 |
| Liverpool Docks | 4,489,248 | 3,309,853 | -1,179,395 |
| Holyhead | 3,133,711 | 1,380,860 | -1,752,851 |
| East Midlands Airport | 2,404,130 | 1,958,051 | -446,079 |
| Immingham Docks | 2,473,353 | 1,200,432 | -1,272,921 |
| Dover | 1,640,247 | 329,137 | -1,311,110 |
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