Import/export HS code 8480: Moulds and patterns
Moulding boxes, bases, patterns, and moulds for metal, glass, rubber, or plastics
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 | 162,217,421 |
| Germany | 86,273,588 |
| Italy | 50,898,605 |
| Luxembourg | 36,471,204 |
| France | 33,513,281 |
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 | 72,831,888 | 89,385,533 | +16,553,645 |
| Germany | 36,094,203 | 50,179,385 | +14,085,182 |
| Italy | 27,085,212 | 23,813,393 | -3,271,819 |
| Luxembourg | 16,968,329 | 19,502,875 | +2,534,546 |
| France | 21,168,383 | 12,344,898 | -8,823,485 |
| Portugal | 10,395,067 | 19,886,131 | +9,491,064 |
| Denmark | 14,879,464 | 4,985,438 | -9,894,026 |
| United States | 8,916,890 | 10,123,861 | +1,206,971 |
| Netherlands | 8,658,542 | 6,297,777 | -2,360,765 |
| Ireland | 10,070,550 | 4,569,317 | -5,501,233 |
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 | 174,160,451 |
| Italy | 92,857,830 |
| Germany | 78,824,651 |
| Portugal | 31,073,092 |
| United Kingdom | 19,713,082 |
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 | 77,054,220 | 97,106,231 | +20,052,011 |
| Italy | 50,390,788 | 42,467,042 | -7,923,746 |
| Germany | 33,731,224 | 45,093,427 | +11,362,203 |
| Portugal | 11,294,123 | 19,778,969 | +8,484,846 |
| United Kingdom | 10,153,989 | 9,559,093 | -594,896 |
| Denmark | 14,676,920 | 4,474,294 | -10,202,626 |
| United States | 7,674,760 | 9,152,349 | +1,477,589 |
| France | 8,736,693 | 6,779,454 | -1,957,239 |
| Croatia | 8,184,768 | 5,746,408 | -2,438,360 |
| Japan | 6,016,546 | 7,126,661 | +1,110,115 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| West Midlands | 97 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 76 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 68 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 67 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 66 |
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 | 61 | 75 | +14 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 56 | 54 | -2 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 50 | 49 | -1 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 52 | 47 | -5 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 46 | 52 | +6 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 42 | 43 | +1 |
| Greater Manchester | 37 | 43 | +6 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 37 | 41 | +4 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 33 | 35 | +2 |
| Inner London - West | 34 | 27 | -7 |
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) | 300,033,645 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 146,202,397 |
| Air transport | 123,325,326 |
| Other | 7,105,978 |
| Road transport | 1,758,736 |
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) | 144,821,571 | 155,212,074 | +10,390,503 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 72,937,616 | 73,264,781 | +327,165 |
| Air transport | 54,939,259 | 68,386,067 | +13,446,808 |
| Other | 3,636,401 | 3,469,577 | -166,824 |
| Road transport | 802,207 | 956,529 | +154,322 |
| Rail transport | 0 | 18,928 | +18,928 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover | 160,103,700 |
| Felixstowe | 87,997,103 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 73,949,361 |
| Eurotunnel | 55,740,587 |
| Southampton | 20,756,294 |
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 | 79,318,246 | 80,785,454 | +1,467,208 |
| Felixstowe | 37,523,096 | 50,474,007 | +12,950,911 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 33,706,010 | 40,243,351 | +6,537,341 |
| Eurotunnel | 26,529,757 | 29,210,830 | +2,681,073 |
| Southampton | 9,662,450 | 11,093,844 | +1,431,394 |
| Hull | 14,283,348 | 4,599,957 | -9,683,391 |
| Immingham Docks | 4,821,545 | 12,855,693 | +8,034,148 |
| East Midlands Airport | 8,471,350 | 9,167,712 | +696,362 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 7,489,134 | 3,609,123 | -3,880,011 |
| Manchester Airport | 3,251,920 | 7,516,293 | +4,264,373 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
| Manufacture of rubber and plastic products | 320 |
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 164 |
| Other manufacturing | 136 |
| Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment | 110 |
| Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. | 107 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-04 | 248 |
| 2026-03 | 246 |
| 2026-02 | 220 |
| 2026-01 | 217 |
| 2025-12 | 222 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| TOYOTA TSUSHO U.K. LIMITED | 122 |
| NIFCO UK LIMITED | 116 |
| ENCIRC LIMITED | 115 |
| TRP POLYMER SOLUTIONS LIMITED | 105 |
| GEORGE UTZ LIMITED | 100 |
| BEATSON CLARK LIMITED | 99 |
| BECTON DICKINSON INFUSION THERAPY UK | 99 |
| O-I GLASS LIMITED | 98 |
| MORGAN TECHNICAL CERAMICS LIMITED | 97 |
| HUSQVARNA UK LIMITED | 90 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 529 |
| 54m+ | 451 |
| 15m-54m | 180 |
| 0-1m | 107 |
| Other | 86 |
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 | 49,242,255 |
| Luxembourg | 45,692,535 |
| Germany | 38,827,402 |
| France | 23,913,715 |
| Ireland | 15,919,146 |
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 | 21,621,655 | 27,620,600 | +5,998,945 |
| Luxembourg | 20,731,807 | 24,960,728 | +4,228,921 |
| Germany | 18,487,151 | 20,340,251 | +1,853,100 |
| France | 14,231,712 | 9,682,003 | -4,549,709 |
| Ireland | 9,551,876 | 6,367,270 | -3,184,606 |
| Poland | 6,117,980 | 9,394,680 | +3,276,700 |
| Italy | 5,638,902 | 4,666,908 | -971,994 |
| Netherlands | 4,290,857 | 5,120,691 | +829,834 |
| Czechia | 4,857,864 | 4,544,378 | -313,486 |
| Spain | 3,984,050 | 3,952,758 | -31,292 |
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 | 1,182,541 |
| XI | 166,896 |
| Ireland | 72,132 |
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 | 388,937 | 793,604 | +404,667 |
| XI | 133,675 | 33,221 | -100,454 |
| Ireland | 45,274 | 26,858 | -18,416 |
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) | 194,824,435 |
| Air transport | 92,687,904 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 19,163,275 |
| Other | 1,422,281 |
| Road transport | 36,988 |
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) | 96,130,838 | 98,693,597 | +2,562,759 |
| Air transport | 41,434,506 | 51,253,398 | +9,818,892 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 9,576,202 | 9,587,073 | +10,871 |
| Other | 568,207 | 854,074 | +285,867 |
| Road transport | 19,639 | 17,349 | -2,290 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 154,722,551 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 56,536,305 |
| East Midlands Airport | 18,012,188 |
| Immingham Docks | 11,241,096 |
| Holyhead | 10,978,491 |
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 | 77,209,656 | 77,512,895 | +303,239 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 25,371,436 | 31,164,869 | +5,793,433 |
| East Midlands Airport | 7,768,036 | 10,244,152 | +2,476,116 |
| Immingham Docks | 3,598,042 | 7,643,054 | +4,045,012 |
| Holyhead | 6,800,584 | 4,177,907 | -2,622,677 |
| London Stansted Airport | 3,696,040 | 3,491,946 | -204,094 |
| Southampton | 2,687,017 | 3,588,706 | +901,689 |
| Felixstowe | 3,316,863 | 2,671,939 | -644,924 |
| Dover | 3,510,312 | 2,221,340 | -1,288,972 |
| ZLC | 2,031,387 | 2,512,012 | +480,625 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
Quick facts
HS code: 8480
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Moulding boxes, bases, patterns, and moulds for metal, glass, rubber, or plastics