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 | 1,121,670,562 |
| United States | 1,091,887,259 |
| China | 1,011,899,240 |
| Italy | 672,020,393 |
| France | 438,571,736 |
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 | 594,041,265 | 527,629,297 | -66,411,968 |
| United States | 544,691,399 | 547,195,860 | +2,504,461 |
| China | 543,275,092 | 468,624,148 | -74,650,944 |
| Italy | 339,573,235 | 332,447,158 | -7,126,077 |
| France | 233,460,600 | 205,111,136 | -28,349,464 |
| Netherlands | 125,714,048 | 118,843,808 | -6,870,240 |
| India | 69,032,600 | 88,017,823 | +18,985,223 |
| Spain | 74,538,608 | 65,671,046 | -8,867,562 |
| Denmark | 60,812,188 | 55,003,877 | -5,808,311 |
| Switzerland | 48,507,887 | 49,608,118 | +1,100,231 |
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 | 1,473,897,176 |
| China | 1,103,580,031 |
| Germany | 739,543,021 |
| Italy | 647,664,322 |
| United Kingdom | 380,082,554 |
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 | 734,927,853 | 738,969,323 | +4,041,470 |
| China | 593,884,733 | 509,695,298 | -84,189,435 |
| Germany | 395,590,752 | 343,952,269 | -51,638,483 |
| Italy | 327,595,997 | 320,068,325 | -7,527,672 |
| United Kingdom | 196,899,268 | 183,183,286 | -13,715,982 |
| France | 195,023,134 | 180,075,407 | -14,947,727 |
| India | 73,546,746 | 91,403,655 | +17,856,909 |
| Czechia | 46,444,454 | 55,947,263 | +9,502,809 |
| Switzerland | 51,457,846 | 44,436,666 | -7,021,180 |
| Poland | 47,947,378 | 47,675,271 | -272,107 |
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 | 554 |
| Inner London - West | 444 |
| West Midlands | 426 |
| Greater Manchester | 397 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 394 |
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 | 460 | 420 | -40 |
| Inner London - West | 315 | 324 | +9 |
| West Midlands | 331 | 332 | +1 |
| Greater Manchester | 308 | 289 | -19 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 321 | 298 | -23 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 281 | 285 | +4 |
| West Yorkshire | 258 | 267 | +9 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 266 | 255 | -11 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 254 | 241 | -13 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 255 | 237 | -18 |
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 | 2,759,053,094 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,851,747,376 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,561,082,500 |
| Other | 114,113,477 |
| Road transport | 48,952,674 |
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 | 1,391,847,855 | 1,367,205,239 | -24,642,616 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 965,313,709 | 886,433,667 | -78,880,042 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 819,037,297 | 742,045,203 | -76,992,094 |
| Other | 76,542,558 | 37,570,919 | -38,971,639 |
| Road transport | 18,814,367 | 30,138,307 | +11,323,940 |
| Rail transport | 5,765,642 | 3,107,901 | -2,657,741 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover | 903,373,734 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 897,028,103 |
| East Midlands Airport | 749,023,445 |
| Felixstowe | 591,276,065 |
| London Stansted Airport | 521,974,097 |
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 | 462,563,685 | 440,810,049 | -21,753,636 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 459,412,276 | 437,615,827 | -21,796,449 |
| East Midlands Airport | 368,267,369 | 380,756,076 | +12,488,707 |
| Felixstowe | 342,331,530 | 248,944,535 | -93,386,995 |
| London Stansted Airport | 255,909,969 | 266,064,128 | +10,154,159 |
| Eurotunnel | 193,403,186 | 192,798,776 | -604,410 |
| Birmingham Airport | 135,597,045 | 135,172,758 | -424,287 |
| Southampton | 148,787,617 | 121,499,859 | -27,287,758 |
| London | 131,637,438 | 110,576,066 | -21,061,372 |
| London Gateway Port | 88,915,306 | 127,955,876 | +39,040,570 |
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
|
1994 |
|
Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c.
|
955 |
|
Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles
|
634 |
|
Other manufacturing
|
542 |
|
Repair and installation of machinery and equipment
|
531 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-05 | 2454 |
| 2026-04 | 2535 |
| 2026-03 | 2597 |
| 2026-02 | 2559 |
| 2026-01 | 2353 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| STENA DRILLING LIMITED | 125 |
| CRANE LIMITED | 125 |
| AIR PRODUCTS PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY | 125 |
| EATON LIMITED | 125 |
| KOHLER MIRA LIMITED | 125 |
| FMC TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED | 125 |
| CRANE PROCESS FLOW TECHNOLOGIES LTD | 125 |
| SPIRAX-SARCO LIMITED | 125 |
| NORCROS GROUP (HOLDINGS) LIMITED | 125 |
| CUMMINS LTD. | 125 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 4024 |
| 54m+ | 2391 |
| 0-1m | 1221 |
| 15m-54m | 909 |
| Other | 567 |
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 | 893,803,384 |
| Germany | 528,775,851 |
| Norway | 392,211,508 |
| France | 347,719,336 |
| China | 277,420,842 |
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 | 478,202,750 | 415,600,634 | -62,602,116 |
| Germany | 258,194,071 | 270,581,780 | +12,387,709 |
| Norway | 226,112,174 | 166,099,334 | -60,012,840 |
| France | 179,937,213 | 167,782,123 | -12,155,090 |
| China | 137,847,728 | 139,573,114 | +1,725,386 |
| Italy | 109,649,207 | 112,997,988 | +3,348,781 |
| Ireland | 108,004,719 | 103,950,553 | -4,054,166 |
| Netherlands | 103,410,283 | 102,982,185 | -428,098 |
| United Arab Emirates | 100,397,966 | 99,427,963 | -970,003 |
| Singapore | 72,909,918 | 90,057,456 | +17,147,538 |
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 | 8,233,975 |
| XI | 5,771,885 |
| Germany | 1,216,095 |
| Ireland | 979,316 |
| Lithuania | 720,511 |
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 | 4,199,674 | 4,034,301 | -165,373 |
| XI | 1,863,228 | 3,908,657 | +2,045,429 |
| Germany | 804,581 | 411,514 | -393,067 |
| Ireland | 107,722 | 871,594 | +763,872 |
| Lithuania | 360,766 | 359,745 | -1,021 |
| Italy | 345,021 | 304,948 | -40,073 |
| France | 260,072 | 151,619 | -108,453 |
| United States | 101,370 | 148,864 | +47,494 |
| Denmark | 64,191 | 103,004 | +38,813 |
| India | 67,400 | 66,556 | -844 |
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 | 3,314,439,863 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,332,140,133 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,210,705,242 |
| Other | 24,271,350 |
| Road transport | 1,041,392 |
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 | 1,701,353,668 | 1,613,086,195 | -88,267,473 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 679,989,434 | 652,150,699 | -27,838,735 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 703,486,283 | 507,218,959 | -196,267,324 |
| Other | 10,932,811 | 13,338,539 | +2,405,728 |
| Road transport | 777,493 | 263,899 | -513,594 |
| 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 | 1,491,079,140 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 919,915,893 |
| East Midlands Airport | 696,851,298 |
| London Stansted Airport | 501,453,579 |
| Aberdeen Docks | 400,252,456 |
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 | 788,343,530 | 702,735,610 | -85,607,920 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 461,425,171 | 458,490,722 | -2,934,449 |
| East Midlands Airport | 372,143,764 | 324,707,534 | -47,436,230 |
| London Stansted Airport | 228,407,135 | 273,046,444 | +44,639,309 |
| Aberdeen Docks | 242,600,073 | 157,652,383 | -84,947,690 |
| London Gateway Port | 215,493,534 | 149,404,955 | -66,088,579 |
| ZLC | 129,190,975 | 134,621,345 | +5,430,370 |
| Southampton | 80,091,956 | 96,109,274 | +16,017,318 |
| Manchester Airport | 85,908,794 | 80,857,450 | -5,051,344 |
| Immingham Docks | 81,639,190 | 76,846,899 | -4,792,291 |
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