Import/export HS code 8481: Taps, valves, and similar devices for pipes and tanks
Includes pressure-reducing valves, thermostatic valves, and other similar appliances for controlling flow in pipes, boilers, or tanks
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Germany | 1,176,680,815 |
| United States | 1,135,454,284 |
| China | 1,060,086,713 |
| Italy | 708,342,466 |
| France | 461,139,944 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 598,172,743 | 578,508,072 | -19,664,671 |
| United States | 551,293,702 | 584,160,582 | +32,866,880 |
| China | 543,566,709 | 516,520,004 | -27,046,705 |
| Italy | 344,072,821 | 364,269,645 | +20,196,824 |
| France | 237,915,794 | 223,224,150 | -14,691,644 |
| Netherlands | 132,019,169 | 126,903,281 | -5,115,888 |
| Spain | 79,259,022 | 70,839,904 | -8,419,118 |
| India | 72,430,591 | 72,562,318 | +131,727 |
| Denmark | 60,305,628 | 60,512,470 | +206,842 |
| Switzerland | 49,014,488 | 53,213,294 | +4,198,806 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| United States | 1,531,082,052 |
| China | 1,158,658,458 |
| Germany | 782,662,410 |
| Italy | 684,687,956 |
| United Kingdom | 397,938,534 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 738,718,121 | 792,363,931 | +53,645,810 |
| China | 596,364,534 | 562,293,924 | -34,070,610 |
| Germany | 408,302,954 | 374,359,456 | -33,943,498 |
| Italy | 335,234,608 | 349,453,348 | +14,218,740 |
| United Kingdom | 201,529,926 | 196,408,608 | -5,121,318 |
| France | 196,659,726 | 198,543,144 | +1,883,418 |
| India | 77,746,178 | 76,093,560 | -1,652,618 |
| Czechia | 47,288,871 | 59,473,183 | +12,184,312 |
| Poland | 50,302,489 | 50,858,204 | +555,715 |
| Spain | 58,413,153 | 42,185,557 | -16,227,596 |
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 | 575 |
| Inner London - West | 450 |
| West Midlands | 435 |
| Greater Manchester | 407 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 399 |
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 | 459 | 437 | -22 |
| Inner London - West | 310 | 335 | +25 |
| West Midlands | 332 | 335 | +3 |
| Greater Manchester | 306 | 311 | +5 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 322 | 306 | -16 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 277 | 296 | +19 |
| West Yorkshire | 270 | 273 | +3 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 257 | 259 | +2 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 249 | 249 | +0 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 250 | 246 | -4 |
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 | 2,877,065,740 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,949,639,602 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,625,017,583 |
| Other | 123,644,850 |
| Road transport | 50,570,649 |
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 | 1,403,555,711 | 1,473,510,029 | +69,954,318 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 988,091,549 | 961,548,053 | -26,543,496 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 835,208,785 | 789,808,798 | -45,399,987 |
| Other | 77,890,141 | 45,754,709 | -32,135,432 |
| Road transport | 20,036,115 | 30,534,534 | +10,498,419 |
| Rail transport | 7,699,552 | 3,170,992 | -4,528,560 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover | 944,556,209 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 938,108,706 |
| East Midlands Airport | 777,407,161 |
| Felixstowe | 610,888,145 |
| London Stansted Airport | 538,529,814 |
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 | 462,987,408 | 481,568,801 | +18,581,393 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 459,349,832 | 478,758,874 | +19,409,042 |
| East Midlands Airport | 366,885,543 | 410,521,618 | +43,636,075 |
| Felixstowe | 357,327,295 | 253,560,850 | -103,766,445 |
| London Stansted Airport | 258,202,212 | 280,327,602 | +22,125,390 |
| Eurotunnel | 194,181,692 | 209,778,425 | +15,596,733 |
| Southampton | 156,743,525 | 131,678,603 | -25,064,922 |
| Birmingham Airport | 134,075,208 | 146,720,008 | +12,644,800 |
| London | 134,190,809 | 123,283,623 | -10,907,186 |
| London Gateway Port | 74,811,847 | 141,493,381 | +66,681,534 |
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 | 2032 |
| Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. | 959 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 647 |
| Other manufacturing | 545 |
| Repair and installation of machinery and equipment | 529 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-04 | 2534 |
| 2026-03 | 2596 |
| 2026-02 | 2560 |
| 2026-01 | 2353 |
| 2025-12 | 2316 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| STENA DRILLING LIMITED | 124 |
| CRANE LIMITED | 124 |
| AIR PRODUCTS PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY | 124 |
| EATON LIMITED | 124 |
| KOHLER MIRA LIMITED | 124 |
| FMC TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED | 124 |
| CRANE PROCESS FLOW TECHNOLOGIES LTD | 124 |
| SPIRAX-SARCO LIMITED | 124 |
| NORCROS GROUP (HOLDINGS) LIMITED | 124 |
| CUMMINS LTD. | 124 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 4084 |
| 54m+ | 2452 |
| 0-1m | 1245 |
| 15m-54m | 908 |
| Other | 588 |
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 | 948,919,266 |
| Germany | 549,063,702 |
| Norway | 402,422,000 |
| France | 359,850,657 |
| China | 286,045,670 |
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 | 502,130,624 | 446,788,642 | -55,341,982 |
| Germany | 258,597,447 | 290,466,255 | +31,868,808 |
| Norway | 224,400,109 | 178,021,891 | -46,378,218 |
| France | 182,684,334 | 177,166,323 | -5,518,011 |
| China | 141,406,188 | 144,639,482 | +3,233,294 |
| Italy | 109,128,643 | 120,246,740 | +11,118,097 |
| Ireland | 102,577,099 | 116,054,540 | +13,477,441 |
| Netherlands | 102,480,643 | 110,149,840 | +7,669,197 |
| United Arab Emirates | 97,454,848 | 110,060,533 | +12,605,685 |
| Singapore | 70,491,878 | 97,824,574 | +27,332,696 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| XI | 9,698,905 |
| China | 8,343,716 |
| Germany | 1,358,768 |
| Ireland | 846,908 |
| Lithuania | 691,278 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| XI | 5,730,984 | 3,967,921 | -1,763,063 |
| China | 3,912,776 | 4,430,940 | +518,164 |
| Germany | 947,485 | 411,283 | -536,202 |
| Ireland | 105,719 | 741,189 | +635,470 |
| Lithuania | 330,686 | 360,592 | +29,906 |
| Italy | 348,757 | 338,221 | -10,536 |
| France | 231,246 | 193,462 | -37,784 |
| United States | 101,344 | 132,902 | +31,558 |
| Denmark | 75,434 | 107,544 | +32,110 |
| India | 66,523 | 72,880 | +6,357 |
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 | 3,453,162,053 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,385,451,810 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,274,666,013 |
| Other | 28,497,739 |
| Road transport | 1,404,265 |
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 | 1,732,468,977 | 1,720,693,076 | -11,775,901 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 672,708,243 | 712,743,567 | +40,035,324 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 725,372,665 | 549,293,348 | -176,079,317 |
| Other | 14,518,938 | 13,978,801 | -540,137 |
| Road transport | 1,173,801 | 230,464 | -943,337 |
| Rail transport | 0 | 126,400 | +126,400 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 1,544,636,310 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 954,820,343 |
| East Midlands Airport | 731,291,458 |
| London Stansted Airport | 515,826,206 |
| Aberdeen Docks | 408,983,943 |
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 | 800,338,740 | 744,297,570 | -56,041,170 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 459,536,143 | 495,284,200 | +35,748,057 |
| East Midlands Airport | 376,116,756 | 355,174,702 | -20,942,054 |
| London Stansted Airport | 231,753,265 | 284,072,941 | +52,319,676 |
| Aberdeen Docks | 241,064,211 | 167,919,732 | -73,144,479 |
| London Gateway Port | 221,993,133 | 164,817,699 | -57,175,434 |
| ZLC | 134,866,618 | 143,510,412 | +8,643,794 |
| Southampton | 78,638,866 | 108,514,108 | +29,875,242 |
| Manchester Airport | 85,191,397 | 86,403,585 | +1,212,188 |
| Immingham Docks | 80,857,247 | 79,840,931 | -1,016,316 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
Quick facts
HS code: 8481
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Includes pressure-reducing valves, thermostatic valves, and other similar appliances for controlling flow in pipes, boilers, or tanks