🇬🇧 United Kingdom imports of food processing machinery: 2024 trade data
Imports of food processing machinery by the United Kingdom reached $508.0 million in 2024 (12.4 thousand tonnes). That makes it the 7th largest importer of this product worldwide, out of 220 countries. That is close to the 2023 level. Across 2017-2024 the long-run trend was broadly stable.
Public statistics, latest reported year 2024. Values in US dollars.
Imports of food processing machinery by year, 2017-2024
Hover or tap a year for detail.
Year by year
| Year | Value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $508.0M | 12.4K t |
| 2023 | $506.1M | 15.4K t |
| 2022 | $525.4M | 15.8K t |
| 2021 | $467.1M | 16.0K t |
| 2020 | $401.0M | 12.7K t |
| 2019 | $430.0M | 13.3K t |
| 2018 | $451.4M | 18.3K t |
| 2017 | $438.5M | 16.6K t |
Where the United Kingdom imports food processing machinery from
The largest suppliers were Germany (23%), Netherlands (15%), Italy (13%). Among the main suppliers, Romania grew fastest (+53% on the year before).
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $119.0M | 23% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $75.5M | 15% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $68.3M | 14% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $49.5M | 9.8% |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | $26.8M | 5.3% |
| 🇫🇷 France | $22.5M | 4.4% |
| 🇨🇳 China | $22.2M | 4.4% |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | $18.2M | 3.6% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $15.9M | 3.1% |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | $12.3M | 2.4% |
Types of food processing machinery under HS 8438
| 8438.90 | Machinery: parts of those machines used in the industrial preparation or manufacture of food or drink | 30% |
| 8438.80 | Machinery: used in the industrial preparation or manufacture of food or drink, n.e.c. in heading no. 8438 | 23% |
| 8438.50 | Machinery: industrial, for the preparation of meat or poultry | 18% |
| 8438.10 | Machinery: industrial, for bakery and for the manufacture of macaroni, spaghetti or similar products | 16% |
| 8438.20 | Machinery: industrial, for the manufacture of confectionery, cocoa or chocolate | 4.7% |
| 8438.60 | Machinery: industrial, for the preparation of fruits, nuts or vegetables | 4.4% |
| 8438.40 | Machinery: industrial, brewery machinery | 3.1% |
| 8438.30 | Machinery: industrial, for sugar manufacture | 0.1% |
Codes and full descriptions: HS heading 8438.
Average import price of food processing machinery
The average declared value was about $40.95 per kg, 52% above the world average of $26.89. This usually points to higher-grade or processed goods.
Declared value divided by weight, all 2024 shipments. Prices per shipment and per company are in EximDataX.
The United Kingdom also exports food processing machinery
In 2024, the United Kingdom exported food processing machinery worth $295.0 million (8.2 thousand tonnes). Its share of world exports was 2%. The largest buyer markets were United States (18%), Ireland (6%), Netherlands (6%). Trade is spread widely: the top three buyer markets together make up only 30%. Among the main buyer markets, India grew fastest (+229% on the year before).
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | $53.7M | 18% |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | $18.3M | 6.2% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $16.9M | 5.7% |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | $16.2M | 5.5% |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | $13.8M | 4.7% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $11.8M | 4% |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | $11.7M | 4% |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | $9.7M | 3.3% |
| 🇪🇬 Egypt | $9.3M | 3.1% |
| 🇮🇳 India | $9.0M | 3.1% |
Who is behind these numbers in the United Kingdom?
Public statistics stop at country totals and the last published year. EximDataX shows the shipment records underneath: the companies, dates, quantities and declared values, updated weekly.
Shipment records are in the platform
Tell us what you trade and we will show you the latest records on a live call.
Direct customs feed: shipment-level records from the official customs source.
Updated weekly on EximDataX (some markets daily), while public statistics stop at 2024.
Source: CEPII BACI (reconciled UN Comtrade data), HS 2017 edition, release 202601, Etalab Open Licence 2.0. Annual values in US dollars at the customs border; quantities in tonnes where reported. HS 8438: Machinery n.e.c. in this chapter, for the industrial preparation or manufacture of food or drink; other than machinery for extraction or preparation of animal or fixed vegetable or microbial fats or oils.
Food processing machinery trade in the United Kingdom: questions
What is the value of food processing machinery imported by the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom imported food processing machinery worth $508.0 million in 2024 (12.4 thousand tonnes).
Where does the United Kingdom import food processing machinery from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were Germany (23%), Netherlands (15%), Italy (13%).
What is the average import price of food processing machinery in the United Kingdom?
The average declared import value was about $40.95 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $26.89 per kg.
Does the United Kingdom export food processing machinery?
Yes. The United Kingdom exported food processing machinery worth $295.0 million in 2024, mainly to United States, Ireland, Netherlands.
What is the HS code for food processing machinery?
Food processing machinery falls under HS heading 8438 (Machinery n.e.c. in this chapter, for the industrial preparation or manufacture of food or drink; other than machinery f). The six-digit codes under it split the product by type.
How can I find the companies trading food processing machinery with the United Kingdom?
These public statistics stop at country level. EximDataX has a direct customs feed for the United Kingdom with shipment-level records, updated weekly, where you can see the importers and exporters by name.
Food processing machinery trade in other countries
More trade data for the United Kingdom
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