🇬🇧 United Kingdom imports of optical fibres and lenses: 2024 trade data
Imports of optical fibres and lenses by the United Kingdom reached $844.1 million in 2024 (8.2 thousand tonnes). Its share of world imports was 3%. Value fell 3% from 2023. Across 2017-2024 the long-run trend was broadly stable.
Public statistics, latest reported year 2024. Values in US dollars.
Imports of optical fibres and lenses by year, 2017-2024
Hover or tap a year for detail.
Year by year
| Year | Value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $844.1M | 8.2K t |
| 2023 | $870.3M | 8.6K t |
| 2022 | $843.9M | 9.5K t |
| 2021 | $890.9M | 14.9K t |
| 2020 | $928.1M | 20.2K t |
| 2019 | $1.02B | 22.1K t |
| 2018 | $1.02B | 21.1K t |
| 2017 | $1.00B | 19.6K t |
Where the United Kingdom imports optical fibres and lenses from
Most of the value came from United States (19%), Germany (10%), Hungary (10%). Trade is spread widely: the top three suppliers together make up only 39%.
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | $159.3M | 19% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $85.6M | 10% |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | $80.4M | 9.5% |
| 🇨🇳 China | $80.3M | 9.5% |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | $78.1M | 9.3% |
| 🇮🇳 India | $63.4M | 7.5% |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | $61.8M | 7.3% |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | $42.2M | 5% |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | $29.1M | 3.5% |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $21.5M | 2.6% |
Types of optical fibres and lenses under HS 9001
| 9001.30 | Lenses, contact: unmounted, of any material, excluding elements of glass not optically worked | 40% |
| 9001.50 | Lenses, spectacle: unmounted, of materials other than glass | 32% |
| 9001.90 | Optical elements: lenses n.e.c. in heading no. 9001, prisms, mirrors and other optical elements, unmounted, of any material (excluding elements of… | 17% |
| 9001.10 | Optical fibres, optical fibre bundles and cables: excluding those of heading no. 8544 | 9.5% |
| 9001.40 | Lenses, spectacle: unmounted, of glass, excluding elements of glass not optically worked | 0.8% |
| 9001.20 | Optical elements: polarising material, sheets and plates thereof | 0.4% |
Codes and full descriptions: HS heading 9001.
Average import price of optical fibres and lenses
The average declared value was about $103.26 per kg, 52% above the world average of $67.96. 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 optical fibres and lenses
Exports of optical fibres and lenses by the United Kingdom reached $812.2 million in 2024 (4.6 thousand tonnes). It ranks 10th of 185 countries for exports of this product. The largest buyer markets were United States (16%), Japan (10%), Germany (9%). Trade is spread widely: the top three buyer markets together make up only 35%. Among the main buyer markets, Norway grew fastest (+52% on the year before).
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | $129.3M | 16% |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | $81.6M | 10% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $74.2M | 9.1% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $60.5M | 7.5% |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | $46.6M | 5.7% |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | $31.7M | 3.9% |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | $29.0M | 3.6% |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | $27.9M | 3.4% |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | $26.9M | 3.3% |
| 🇳🇴 Norway | $23.5M | 2.9% |
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 9001: Optical fibres and optical fibre bundles; optical fibre cables not of heading no. 8544; sheets, plates of polarising material; lenses, prisms, mirrors, of any material; unmounted; not non optical glass.
Optical fibres and lenses trade in the United Kingdom: questions
What is the value of optical fibres and lenses imported by the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom imported optical fibres and lenses worth $844.1 million in 2024 (8.2 thousand tonnes).
Where does the United Kingdom import optical fibres and lenses from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were United States (19%), Germany (10%), Hungary (10%).
What is the average import price of optical fibres and lenses in the United Kingdom?
The average declared import value was about $103.26 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $67.96 per kg.
Does the United Kingdom export optical fibres and lenses?
Yes. The United Kingdom exported optical fibres and lenses worth $812.2 million in 2024, mainly to United States, Japan, Germany.
What is the HS code for optical fibres and lenses?
Optical fibres and lenses falls under HS heading 9001 (Optical fibres and optical fibre bundles; optical fibre cables not of heading no. 8544; sheets, plates of polarising mat). The six-digit codes under it split the product by type.
How can I find the companies trading optical fibres and lenses 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.
Optical fibres and lenses trade in other countries
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