Import/export HS code 8468: Machines and tools for soldering, welding, or brazing, including gas-operated tools
Includes all types of machines and tools used for joining or cutting metal, such as gas-operated tempering machines and handheld blowpipes
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 | 7,727,565 |
| United States | 4,388,839 |
| Germany | 4,247,859 |
| Netherlands | 2,850,416 |
| Austria | 2,101,737 |
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 | 4,531,278 | 3,196,287 | -1,334,991 |
| United States | 2,496,396 | 1,892,443 | -603,953 |
| Germany | 1,574,782 | 2,673,077 | +1,098,295 |
| Netherlands | 1,862,990 | 987,426 | -875,564 |
| Austria | 1,304,224 | 797,513 | -506,711 |
| Italy | 892,287 | 774,597 | -117,690 |
| South Korea | 1,533,148 | 0 | -1,533,148 |
| Japan | 1,285,360 | 16,102 | -1,269,258 |
| France | 708,959 | 532,491 | -176,468 |
| Ireland | 683,594 | 414,246 | -269,348 |
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 | 8,151,350 |
| United States | 5,260,852 |
| Germany | 4,133,626 |
| Austria | 1,884,217 |
| Italy | 1,698,040 |
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 | 4,793,510 | 3,357,840 | -1,435,670 |
| United States | 2,909,138 | 2,351,714 | -557,424 |
| Germany | 1,411,356 | 2,722,270 | +1,310,914 |
| Austria | 1,074,815 | 809,402 | -265,413 |
| Italy | 923,531 | 774,509 | -149,022 |
| Japan | 1,459,574 | 173,483 | -1,286,091 |
| South Korea | 1,533,148 | 2,902 | -1,530,246 |
| Netherlands | 1,040,922 | 445,821 | -595,101 |
| Spain | 59,118 | 804,591 | +745,473 |
| India | 403,983 | 333,433 | -70,550 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| West Midlands | 31 |
| Greater Manchester | 25 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 22 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 21 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 17 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Midlands | 20 | 24 | +4 |
| Greater Manchester | 19 | 14 | -5 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 10 | 19 | +9 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 20 | 10 | -10 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 14 | 10 | -4 |
| Inner London - West | 7 | 8 | +1 |
| West Yorkshire | 13 | 9 | -4 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 8 | 10 | +2 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 8 | 11 | +3 |
| Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear | 12 | 5 | -7 |
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) | 13,326,092 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 10,654,298 |
| Air transport | 8,519,795 |
| Other | 522,761 |
| Road transport | 22,342 |
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) | 9,245,449 | 4,080,643 | -5,164,806 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 4,817,130 | 5,837,168 | +1,020,038 |
| Air transport | 4,745,286 | 3,774,509 | -970,777 |
| Other | 392,624 | 130,137 | -262,487 |
| Road transport | 16,856 | 5,486 | -11,370 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Felixstowe | 4,462,043 |
| Dover | 4,459,407 |
| East Midlands Airport | 3,483,085 |
| Southampton | 3,366,096 |
| Eurotunnel | 2,079,710 |
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 | 2,534,674 | 1,927,369 | -607,305 |
| Dover | 1,765,350 | 2,694,057 | +928,707 |
| East Midlands Airport | 2,070,267 | 1,412,818 | -657,449 |
| Southampton | 2,553,227 | 812,869 | -1,740,358 |
| Eurotunnel | 992,391 | 1,087,319 | +94,928 |
| Immingham Docks | 987,394 | 961,527 | -25,867 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 1,111,438 | 712,917 | -398,521 |
| London Gateway Port | 613,528 | 1,083,623 | +470,095 |
| Tyne | 1,692,198 | 0 | -1,692,198 |
| Manchester Airport | 342,646 | 444,864 | +102,218 |
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 | 122 |
| Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment | 40 |
| Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. | 39 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 34 |
| Other manufacturing | 26 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 61 |
| 2025-11 | 61 |
| 2025-10 | 73 |
| 2025-09 | 67 |
| 2025-08 | 57 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| SPECIALISED WELDING PRODUCTS LIMITED | 120 |
| BWE LIMITED | 109 |
| ROTHENBERGER (U.K.) LIMITED | 108 |
| WELDFAST (UK) LIMITED | 106 |
| PARWELD LIMITED | 92 |
| JACK SEALEY LIMITED | 70 |
| TOSOH QUARTZ, INC. | 65 |
| PROTO LABS, LIMITED | 65 |
| LINCOLN ELECTRIC (U.K.) LIMITED | 60 |
| SHERWEN ENGINEERING CO LIMITED | 55 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 174 |
| 54m+ | 109 |
| 15m-54m | 51 |
| 0-1m | 49 |
| Other | 30 |
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 | 15,893,244 |
| Italy | 4,810,403 |
| Mexico | 2,881,331 |
| Ireland | 2,247,349 |
| Germany | 1,720,961 |
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 | 6,596,312 | 9,296,932 | +2,700,620 |
| Italy | 525,438 | 4,284,965 | +3,759,527 |
| Mexico | 2,046,924 | 834,407 | -1,212,517 |
| Ireland | 1,090,504 | 1,156,845 | +66,341 |
| Germany | 1,081,876 | 639,085 | -442,791 |
| Netherlands | 967,669 | 664,809 | -302,860 |
| Poland | 496,938 | 641,341 | +144,403 |
| Saudi Arabia | 637,381 | 496,821 | -140,560 |
| United Arab Emirates | 675,333 | 437,258 | -238,075 |
| South Korea | 426,453 | 635,126 | +208,673 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| China | 36,588 |
| XI | 6,079 |
| Taiwan | 5,785 |
| Sweden | 4,869 |
| Italy | 3,261 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 19,512 | 17,076 | -2,436 |
| XI | 605 | 5,474 | +4,869 |
| Taiwan | 3,696 | 2,089 | -1,607 |
| Sweden | 2,095 | 2,774 | +679 |
| Italy | 1,730 | 1,531 | -199 |
| India | 672 | 217 | -455 |
| Ireland | 390 | 255 | -135 |
| Estonia | 430 | 0 | -430 |
| Hungary | 0 | 323 | +323 |
| France | 175 | 0 | -175 |
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 | 21,695,892 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 13,286,203 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 11,088,494 |
| Other | 74,314 |
| Road transport | 22,147 |
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 | 12,088,150 | 9,607,742 | -2,480,408 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 5,739,283 | 7,546,920 | +1,807,637 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 4,379,403 | 6,709,091 | +2,329,688 |
| Other | 37,973 | 36,341 | -1,632 |
| Road transport | 22,147 | 0 | -22,147 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 11,121,930 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 8,347,735 |
| East Midlands Airport | 4,489,806 |
| Liverpool Docks | 3,986,510 |
| London Gateway Port | 3,781,571 |
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 | 6,123,312 | 4,998,618 | -1,124,694 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 2,986,427 | 5,361,308 | +2,374,881 |
| East Midlands Airport | 2,416,362 | 2,073,444 | -342,918 |
| Liverpool Docks | 989,028 | 2,997,482 | +2,008,454 |
| London Gateway Port | 2,970,610 | 810,961 | -2,159,649 |
| Southampton | 1,141,473 | 2,594,540 | +1,453,067 |
| London Stansted Airport | 1,799,246 | 1,388,024 | -411,222 |
| ZLC | 920,489 | 795,868 | -124,621 |
| Felixstowe | 477,737 | 782,693 | +304,956 |
| Holyhead | 365,257 | 547,414 | +182,157 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
Quick facts
HS code: 8468
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Includes all types of machines and tools used for joining or cutting metal, such as gas-operated tempering machines and handheld blowpipes