Import/export HS code 8540: Vacuum tubes and valves
Includes vacuum tubes, cathode ray tubes, and other electronic valves
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| United States | 38,916,976 |
| Netherlands | 22,181,283 |
| France | 18,424,837 |
| Japan | 12,370,108 |
| China | 9,766,260 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 19,675,307 | 19,241,669 | -433,638 |
| Netherlands | 8,379,496 | 13,801,787 | +5,422,291 |
| France | 8,738,527 | 9,686,310 | +947,783 |
| Japan | 6,718,020 | 5,652,088 | -1,065,932 |
| China | 5,094,765 | 4,671,495 | -423,270 |
| Germany | 2,680,027 | 2,713,761 | +33,734 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1,619,669 | 1,912,666 | +292,997 |
| South Korea | 2,155,285 | 857,171 | -1,298,114 |
| Italy | 1,091,827 | 1,698,679 | +606,852 |
| Belgium | 756,646 | 730,914 | -25,732 |
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 | 33,394,983 |
| France | 23,412,906 |
| United Kingdom | 17,090,883 |
| Japan | 13,093,835 |
| Netherlands | 12,192,537 |
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 | 17,091,286 | 16,303,697 | -787,589 |
| France | 10,332,879 | 13,080,027 | +2,747,148 |
| United Kingdom | 8,876,866 | 8,214,017 | -662,849 |
| Japan | 7,082,626 | 6,011,209 | -1,071,417 |
| Netherlands | 3,713,202 | 8,479,335 | +4,766,133 |
| China | 5,856,440 | 5,329,905 | -526,535 |
| Italy | 2,365,173 | 3,600,826 | +1,235,653 |
| Germany | 1,309,104 | 1,252,755 | -56,349 |
| Thailand | 825,947 | 884,207 | +58,260 |
| Slovakia | 695,358 | 547,188 | -148,170 |
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 | 36 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 31 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 27 |
| Inner London - West | 26 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 19 |
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 | 30 | 25 | -5 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 27 | 20 | -7 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 17 | 17 | +0 |
| Inner London - West | 19 | 19 | +0 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 12 | 15 | +3 |
| Essex | 14 | 11 | -3 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 9 | 13 | +4 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 11 | 10 | -1 |
| Greater Manchester | 12 | 7 | -5 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 5 | 9 | +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 | 104,133,757 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 11,029,394 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 9,132,101 |
| Other | 132,298 |
| Road transport | 4,432 |
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 | 50,407,122 | 53,726,635 | +3,319,513 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 5,004,199 | 6,025,195 | +1,020,996 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 3,964,038 | 5,168,063 | +1,204,025 |
| Other | 69,402 | 62,896 | -6,506 |
| Road transport | 4,432 | 0 | -4,432 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 47,163,971 |
| London Stansted Airport | 26,818,357 |
| East Midlands Airport | 20,605,464 |
| Eurotunnel | 4,594,152 |
| Warton Aerodrome | 3,527,331 |
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 | 22,145,592 | 25,018,379 | +2,872,787 |
| London Stansted Airport | 11,431,623 | 15,386,734 | +3,955,111 |
| East Midlands Airport | 12,380,393 | 8,225,071 | -4,155,322 |
| Eurotunnel | 1,978,506 | 2,615,646 | +637,140 |
| Warton Aerodrome | 1,619,669 | 1,907,662 | +287,993 |
| London Gateway Port | 1,143,852 | 2,174,541 | +1,030,689 |
| Felixstowe | 614,780 | 2,268,986 | +1,654,206 |
| Manchester Airport | 1,653,527 | 1,110,138 | -543,389 |
| Southampton | 2,120,730 | 487,968 | -1,632,762 |
| Dover | 1,109,388 | 1,254,963 | +145,575 |
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
|
68 |
|
Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products
|
56 |
|
Repair and installation of machinery and equipment
|
28 |
|
Manufacture of electrical equipment
|
25 |
|
Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c.
|
25 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-05 | 62 |
| 2026-04 | 70 |
| 2026-03 | 67 |
| 2026-02 | 75 |
| 2026-01 | 56 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| CPI TMD TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED | 125 |
| HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS UK LIMITED | 125 |
| TELEDYNE UK LIMITED | 123 |
| ET ENTERPRISES LIMITED | 121 |
| RICHARDSON ELECTRONICS LIMITED | 112 |
| PANASONIC MANUFACTURING U.K. LTD. | 111 |
| PHOTEK LIMITED | 107 |
| ITRON (U.K.) LIMITED | 97 |
| AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE LIMITED | 88 |
| ARQIVA LIMITED | 87 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 54m+ | 155 |
| 1m-15m | 126 |
| 0-1m | 38 |
| 15m-54m | 27 |
| Other | 24 |
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 | 85,131,650 |
| Netherlands | 51,532,035 |
| China | 25,417,957 |
| South Korea | 14,772,204 |
| Japan | 14,171,643 |
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 | 50,433,224 | 34,698,426 | -15,734,798 |
| Netherlands | 25,573,550 | 25,958,485 | +384,935 |
| China | 11,034,555 | 14,383,402 | +3,348,847 |
| South Korea | 10,691,588 | 4,080,616 | -6,610,972 |
| Japan | 7,207,182 | 6,964,461 | -242,721 |
| Germany | 5,064,570 | 3,346,935 | -1,717,635 |
| Italy | 3,309,855 | 3,790,700 | +480,845 |
| Poland | 5,403,229 | 1,243,708 | -4,159,521 |
| India | 1,836,994 | 3,136,018 | +1,299,024 |
| France | 2,465,559 | 2,274,891 | -190,668 |
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 | 198,900,865 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 43,989,962 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 6,816,915 |
| Road transport | 464,972 |
| Other | 214 |
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 | 112,615,270 | 86,285,595 | -26,329,675 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 20,862,213 | 23,127,749 | +2,265,536 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 4,161,045 | 2,655,870 | -1,505,175 |
| Road transport | 464,972 | 0 | -464,972 |
| Other | 214 | 0 | -214 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Stansted Airport | 77,697,044 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 75,284,099 |
| ZLC | 28,116,569 |
| Harwich | 26,091,880 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 13,230,598 |
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 Stansted Airport | 47,525,014 | 30,172,030 | -17,352,984 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 39,682,247 | 35,601,852 | -4,080,395 |
| ZLC | 16,357,372 | 11,759,197 | -4,598,175 |
| Harwich | 11,786,221 | 14,305,659 | +2,519,438 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 6,385,188 | 6,845,410 | +460,222 |
| East Midlands Airport | 4,576,215 | 5,308,004 | +731,789 |
| Manchester Airport | 3,563,528 | 1,402,188 | -2,161,340 |
| London Gateway Port | 2,576,380 | 497,593 | -2,078,787 |
| Southampton | 679,645 | 2,123,037 | +1,443,392 |
| Warton Aerodrome | 786,000 | 2,003,677 | +1,217,677 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
- 854011 – Colour cathode ray tubes
- 854012 – Monochrome cathode ray tubes
- 854020 – TV camera tubes and image converters
- 854040 – Display tubes for data or graphics
- 854060 – Various cathode ray tubes
- 854071 – Magnetrons
- 854079 – Various microwave tubes
- 854081 – Receiver or amplifier tubes
- 854089 – Various electronic tubes
- 854091 – Parts for cathode ray tubes
- 854099 – Various electronic tube parts
Quick facts
HS code: 8540
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Includes vacuum tubes, cathode ray tubes, and other electronic valves