Import/export HS code 8517: Telephones and communication devices
Includes smartphones, landline phones, and devices for transmitting or receiving voice, images, or data over networks
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 | 10,043,250,150 |
| Netherlands | 4,205,455,361 |
| Viet Nam | 4,135,397,160 |
| United States | 2,028,095,470 |
| Ireland | 1,420,897,291 |
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 | 5,161,533,958 | 4,881,716,192 | -279,817,766 |
| Netherlands | 2,224,268,823 | 1,981,186,538 | -243,082,285 |
| Viet Nam | 2,324,928,958 | 1,810,468,202 | -514,460,756 |
| United States | 1,145,897,733 | 882,197,737 | -263,699,996 |
| Ireland | 658,323,152 | 762,574,139 | +104,250,987 |
| China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | 786,244,093 | 611,657,354 | -174,586,739 |
| India | 566,493,977 | 333,150,067 | -233,343,910 |
| Germany | 379,443,611 | 361,457,085 | -17,986,526 |
| Taiwan | 309,035,887 | 340,838,457 | +31,802,570 |
| South Korea | 261,612,985 | 268,690,713 | +7,077,728 |
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 | 14,433,538,557 |
| Viet Nam | 4,365,508,047 |
| India | 2,179,193,558 |
| Taiwan | 1,629,091,479 |
| United States | 1,416,921,698 |
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 | 7,730,747,100 | 6,702,791,457 | -1,027,955,643 |
| Viet Nam | 2,145,053,387 | 2,220,454,660 | +75,401,273 |
| India | 1,427,196,343 | 751,997,215 | -675,199,128 |
| Taiwan | 842,209,461 | 786,882,018 | -55,327,443 |
| United States | 803,694,786 | 613,226,912 | -190,467,874 |
| Thailand | 429,716,285 | 705,560,075 | +275,843,790 |
| Malaysia | 418,752,403 | 396,096,349 | -22,656,054 |
| Mexico | 317,203,248 | 361,611,900 | +44,408,652 |
| South Korea | 271,432,493 | 272,061,454 | +628,961 |
| Germany | 138,139,538 | 132,822,669 | -5,316,869 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 1116 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 821 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 496 |
| Inner London - East | 464 |
| Greater Manchester | 426 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 766 | 750 | -16 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 601 | 619 | +18 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 354 | 353 | -1 |
| Inner London - East | 320 | 306 | -14 |
| Greater Manchester | 311 | 293 | -18 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 320 | 289 | -31 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 297 | 280 | -17 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 288 | 274 | -14 |
| West Midlands | 243 | 245 | +2 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 239 | 201 | -38 |
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 | 17,427,904,552 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 4,358,989,420 |
| Other | 4,298,814,037 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 2,978,559,996 |
| Road transport | 846,229,823 |
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 | 7,295,714,986 | 10,132,189,566 | +2,836,474,580 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 2,235,790,213 | 2,123,199,207 | -112,591,006 |
| Other | 4,290,305,319 | 8,508,718 | -4,281,796,601 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,472,272,972 | 1,506,287,024 | +34,014,052 |
| Road transport | 490,525,661 | 355,704,162 | -134,821,499 |
| Rail transport | 116,252 | 29,050 | -87,202 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 10,648,586,149 |
| 000 | 4,298,814,037 |
| 499 | 3,229,433,124 |
| East Midlands Airport | 1,792,886,252 |
| Eurotunnel | 1,561,470,515 |
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 | 5,335,307,036 | 5,313,279,113 | -22,027,923 |
| 000 | 4,290,305,319 | 8,508,718 | -4,281,796,601 |
| 499 | 10,465,277 | 3,218,967,847 | +3,208,502,570 |
| East Midlands Airport | 919,239,330 | 873,646,922 | -45,592,408 |
| Eurotunnel | 920,109,878 | 641,360,637 | -278,749,241 |
| Felixstowe | 733,537,057 | 637,757,839 | -95,779,218 |
| London Stansted Airport | 636,502,080 | 474,440,533 | -162,061,547 |
| ZLC | 554,281,260 | 474,070,463 | -80,210,797 |
| Holyhead | 300,383,418 | 510,284,506 | +209,901,088 |
| London Gateway Port | 320,998,656 | 379,755,635 | +58,756,979 |
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
|
1949 |
|
Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles
|
1016 |
|
Computer programming, consultancy and related activities
|
894 |
|
Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products
|
616 |
|
Office administrative, office support and other business support activities
|
590 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-05 | 2086 |
| 2026-04 | 2109 |
| 2026-03 | 2132 |
| 2026-02 | 2072 |
| 2026-01 | 1941 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| GE MEDICAL SYSTEMS LIMITED | 125 |
| GE AVIATION SYSTEMS LIMITED | 125 |
| THALES UK LIMITED | 125 |
| MITEL NETWORKS LIMITED | 125 |
| BRITISH AIRWAYS PLC | 125 |
| BAE SYSTEMS (OPERATIONS) LIMITED | 125 |
| LG ELECTRONICS U.K. LTD | 125 |
| ABACO SYSTEMS LIMITED | 125 |
| HYVE SOLUTIONS EUROPE LIMITED | 125 |
| BOXER SYSTEMS LIMITED | 125 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 3420 |
| 54m+ | 3187 |
| 0-1m | 1370 |
| 15m-54m | 902 |
| Other | 857 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | 1,113,256,711 |
| Ireland | 1,023,556,730 |
| Germany | 863,405,498 |
| United Arab Emirates | 784,522,334 |
| United States | 749,476,577 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 555,200,738 | 558,055,973 | +2,855,235 |
| Ireland | 581,996,463 | 441,560,267 | -140,436,196 |
| Germany | 418,986,910 | 444,418,588 | +25,431,678 |
| United Arab Emirates | 446,796,041 | 337,726,293 | -109,069,748 |
| United States | 405,693,807 | 343,782,770 | -61,911,037 |
| France | 243,235,713 | 223,017,305 | -20,218,408 |
| China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | 180,692,434 | 232,621,334 | +51,928,900 |
| Poland | 145,156,495 | 160,679,060 | +15,522,565 |
| India | 127,625,946 | 134,762,562 | +7,136,616 |
| Australia | 95,426,693 | 159,198,686 | +63,771,993 |
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 | 73,473,970 |
| Viet Nam | 3,147,149 |
| Switzerland | 607,012 |
| Germany | 454,376 |
| China | 280,748 |
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 | 32,564,503 | 40,909,467 | +8,344,964 |
| Viet Nam | 1,903,480 | 1,243,669 | -659,811 |
| Switzerland | 288,547 | 318,465 | +29,918 |
| Germany | 446,002 | 8,374 | -437,628 |
| China | 210,777 | 69,971 | -140,806 |
| Ireland | 244,921 | 8,170 | -236,751 |
| Belgium | 58,369 | 75,554 | +17,185 |
| Italy | 42,443 | 35,343 | -7,100 |
| Spain | 66,847 | 5,242 | -61,605 |
| France | 62,733 | 3,338 | -59,395 |
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 | 5,547,601,594 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 3,049,203,272 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 175,648,864 |
| Other | 79,096,207 |
| Road transport | 1,651,178 |
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 | 2,847,353,478 | 2,700,248,116 | -147,105,362 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 1,567,741,258 | 1,481,462,014 | -86,279,244 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 103,367,262 | 72,281,602 | -31,085,660 |
| Other | 36,252,039 | 42,844,168 | +6,592,129 |
| Road transport | 1,239,914 | 411,264 | -828,650 |
| Rail transport | 32,504 | 25,698 | -6,806 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 3,083,788,190 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 1,604,840,430 |
| East Midlands Airport | 1,121,069,640 |
| Holyhead | 687,231,173 |
| London Stansted Airport | 637,072,883 |
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 | 1,518,556,287 | 1,565,231,903 | +46,675,616 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 827,919,117 | 776,921,313 | -50,997,804 |
| East Midlands Airport | 577,202,875 | 543,866,765 | -33,336,110 |
| Holyhead | 350,938,422 | 336,292,751 | -14,645,671 |
| London Stansted Airport | 340,235,144 | 296,837,739 | -43,397,405 |
| ZLC | 227,117,962 | 191,043,543 | -36,074,419 |
| Liverpool Docks | 120,509,768 | 62,422,272 | -58,087,496 |
| Dover | 72,466,064 | 63,347,491 | -9,118,573 |
| Manchester Airport | 63,005,131 | 72,041,439 | +9,036,308 |
| Felixstowe | 48,563,022 | 78,668,246 | +30,105,224 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
Quick facts
HS code: 8517
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Includes smartphones, landline phones, and devices for transmitting or receiving voice, images, or data over networks