Import/export HS code 8478: Tobacco processing machines
Machines used to prepare or make tobacco products
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| South Korea | 8,326,639 |
| Italy | 2,653,784 |
| South Africa | 2,202,384 |
| Czechia | 1,778,855 |
| China | 1,637,245 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 696,611 | 7,630,028 | +6,933,417 |
| Italy | 134,203 | 2,519,581 | +2,385,378 |
| South Africa | 2,023,253 | 179,131 | -1,844,122 |
| Czechia | 768,266 | 1,010,589 | +242,323 |
| China | 942,425 | 694,820 | -247,605 |
| United States | 1,495,947 | 41,837 | -1,454,110 |
| Norway | 543,205 | 741,000 | +197,795 |
| Germany | 588,857 | 672,353 | +83,496 |
| Netherlands | 731,169 | 302,080 | -429,089 |
| Switzerland | 493,801 | 378,382 | -115,419 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| South Korea | 6,038,823 |
| United States | 2,786,762 |
| Italy | 2,781,279 |
| South Africa | 1,975,585 |
| China | 1,860,704 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 693,411 | 5,345,412 | +4,652,001 |
| United States | 1,464,655 | 1,322,107 | -142,548 |
| Italy | 143,379 | 2,637,900 | +2,494,521 |
| South Africa | 1,974,121 | 1,464 | -1,972,657 |
| China | 1,058,820 | 801,884 | -256,936 |
| Czechia | 767,213 | 1,019,932 | +252,719 |
| Norway | 848,987 | 741,000 | -107,987 |
| United Kingdom | 280,948 | 1,197,294 | +916,346 |
| Germany | 565,825 | 650,245 | +84,420 |
| Switzerland | 482,124 | 353,214 | -128,910 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 8 |
| Greater Manchester | 7 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 5 |
| Inner London - West | 5 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 5 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 5 | 4 | -1 |
| Greater Manchester | 6 | 4 | -2 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 3 | 4 | +1 |
| Inner London - West | 5 | 3 | -2 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 4 | 1 | -3 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 2 | 3 | +1 |
| Merseyside | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 0 | 4 | +4 |
| South East Wales | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| West Midlands | 3 | 1 | -2 |
Import volume by transport
What this shows: Import value by transport mode used to bring goods into the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Air transport | 12,017,680 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 6,575,984 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 5,488,298 |
| Road transport | 438,399 |
| Other | 2,916 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air transport | 5,073,043 | 6,944,637 | +1,871,594 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,909,045 | 4,666,939 | +2,757,894 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 2,396,217 | 3,092,081 | +695,864 |
| Road transport | 99,507 | 338,892 | +239,385 |
| Other | 543 | 2,373 | +1,830 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 9,869,939 |
| Southampton | 3,519,603 |
| Dover | 3,260,739 |
| Eurotunnel | 1,827,259 |
| East Midlands Airport | 1,446,688 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 3,793,870 | 6,076,069 | +2,282,199 |
| Southampton | 912,009 | 2,607,594 | +1,695,585 |
| Dover | 503,813 | 2,756,926 | +2,253,113 |
| Eurotunnel | 862,858 | 964,401 | +101,543 |
| East Midlands Airport | 846,493 | 600,195 | -246,298 |
| Immingham Docks | 315,237 | 762,280 | +447,043 |
| Felixstowe | 360,537 | 324,652 | -35,885 |
| ZLC | 192,606 | 337,893 | +145,287 |
| Aberdeen Docks | 526,709 | 0 | -526,709 |
| London Stansted Airport | 143,442 | 229,948 | +86,506 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
| Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. | 25 |
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 24 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 8 |
| Other manufacturing | 7 |
| Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products | 6 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-04 | 12 |
| 2026-03 | 14 |
| 2026-02 | 12 |
| 2026-01 | 14 |
| 2025-12 | 13 |
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 |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 52 |
| 54m+ | 39 |
| 15m-54m | 12 |
| Other | 8 |
| 0-1m | 7 |
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 | 11,426,088 |
| Italy | 10,630,898 |
| Indonesia | 10,469,573 |
| Germany | 4,951,063 |
| Netherlands | 3,463,347 |
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 | 3,417,136 | 8,008,952 | +4,591,816 |
| Italy | 6,099,374 | 4,531,524 | -1,567,850 |
| Indonesia | 6,812,385 | 3,657,188 | -3,155,197 |
| Germany | 3,240,333 | 1,710,730 | -1,529,603 |
| Netherlands | 1,969,908 | 1,493,439 | -476,469 |
| South Korea | 2,456,867 | 780,035 | -1,676,832 |
| Egypt | 1,748,200 | 742,333 | -1,005,867 |
| United Arab Emirates | 1,099,776 | 1,174,239 | +74,463 |
| Japan | 1,930,989 | 332,184 | -1,598,805 |
| China | 1,654,148 | 427,148 | -1,227,000 |
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 | 29 |
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 | 29 | 0 | -29 |
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 | 41,738,283 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 20,102,521 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 12,771,687 |
| Road transport | 12,861 |
| Other | 1,091 |
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 | 25,203,515 | 16,534,768 | -8,668,747 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 12,231,111 | 7,871,410 | -4,359,701 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 5,405,578 | 7,366,109 | +1,960,531 |
| Road transport | 12,861 | 0 | -12,861 |
| Other | 583 | 508 | -75 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 31,015,276 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 18,406,015 |
| East Midlands Airport | 8,168,203 |
| Southampton | 6,435,029 |
| London Gateway Port | 4,864,689 |
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 | 19,567,865 | 11,447,411 | -8,120,454 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 10,698,872 | 7,707,143 | -2,991,729 |
| East Midlands Airport | 4,475,672 | 3,692,531 | -783,141 |
| Southampton | 891,440 | 5,543,589 | +4,652,149 |
| London Gateway Port | 3,154,964 | 1,709,725 | -1,445,239 |
| Felixstowe | 1,200,350 | 183,718 | -1,016,632 |
| Manchester Airport | 433,701 | 663,586 | +229,885 |
| Immingham Docks | 967,782 | 63,162 | -904,620 |
| ZLC | 360,963 | 334,083 | -26,880 |
| London Stansted Airport | 376,806 | 246,642 | -130,164 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
Quick facts
HS code: 8478
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Machines used to prepare or make tobacco products