🇬🇧 United Kingdom imports of plastic bottle: 2024 trade data
The United Kingdom imported $2.56 billion of plastic bottle in 2024 (645.7 thousand tonnes). That makes it the 6th largest importer of this product worldwide, out of 225 countries. The value was almost unchanged from 2023. Across 2017-2024 the long-run trend was broadly stable.
Public statistics, latest reported year 2024. Values in US dollars.
Imports of plastic bottle by year, 2017-2024
Hover or tap a year for detail.
Year by year
| Year | Value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2.56B | 645.7K t |
| 2023 | $2.54B | 583.7K t |
| 2022 | $2.74B | 640.6K t |
| 2021 | $2.74B | 714.6K t |
| 2020 | $2.52B | 775.9K t |
| 2019 | $2.56B | 863.2K t |
| 2018 | $2.57B | 882.2K t |
| 2017 | $2.39B | 764.7K t |
Where the United Kingdom imports plastic bottle from
Most of the value came from China (17%), Germany (16%), France (8%). Trade is spread widely: the top three suppliers together make up only 40%.
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 China | $423.9M | 17% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $406.8M | 16% |
| 🇫🇷 France | $194.1M | 7.6% |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey | $187.6M | 7.3% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $142.9M | 5.6% |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | $140.7M | 5.5% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $112.2M | 4.4% |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | $107.6M | 4.2% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $100.8M | 3.9% |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | $93.9M | 3.7% |
Types of plastic bottle under HS 3923
| 3923.21 | Ethylene polymers: sacks and bags (including cones), for the conveyance or packing of goods | 26% |
| 3923.10 | Plastics: boxes, cases, crates and similar articles for the conveyance or packing of goods | 18% |
| 3923.30 | Plastics: carboys, bottles, flasks and similar articles, for the conveyance or packing of goods | 16% |
| 3923.50 | Plastics: stoppers, lids, caps and other closures, for the conveyance or packing of goods | 14% |
| 3923.29 | Plastics: sacks and bags (including cones), for the conveyance or packing of goods, of plastics other than ethylene polymers | 13% |
| 3923.90 | Plastics: articles for the conveyance or packing of goods n.e.c. in heading no. 3923 | 12% |
| 3923.40 | Plastics: spools, cops, bobbins and similar supports, for the conveyance or packing of goods | 0.5% |
Codes and full descriptions: HS heading 3923.
Average import price of plastic bottle
The average declared value was about $3.96 per kg, close to the world average of $3.90.
Declared value divided by weight, all 2024 shipments. Prices per shipment and per company are in EximDataX.
The United Kingdom also exports plastic bottle
Exports of plastic bottle by the United Kingdom reached $1.24 billion in 2024 (230.0 thousand tonnes). Its share of world exports was 2%. The largest buyer markets were Ireland (19%), Germany (12%), France (10%). Trade is spread widely: the top three buyer markets together make up only 41%. Among the main buyer markets, Slovakia grew fastest (+70% on the year before).
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | $231.0M | 19% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $145.3M | 12% |
| 🇫🇷 France | $130.4M | 11% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $106.2M | 8.5% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $55.5M | 4.5% |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | $49.2M | 4% |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | $48.7M | 3.9% |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | $38.3M | 3.1% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $30.7M | 2.5% |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia | $30.3M | 2.4% |
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 3923: Plastic articles for the conveyance or packing of goods; stoppers, lids, caps and other closures of plastics.
Plastic bottle trade in the United Kingdom: questions
What is the value of plastic bottle imported by the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom imported plastic bottle worth $2.56 billion in 2024 (645.7 thousand tonnes).
Where does the United Kingdom import plastic bottle from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were China (17%), Germany (16%), France (8%).
What is the average import price of plastic bottle in the United Kingdom?
The average declared import value was about $3.96 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $3.90 per kg.
Does the United Kingdom export plastic bottle?
Yes. The United Kingdom exported plastic bottle worth $1.24 billion in 2024, mainly to Ireland, Germany, France.
What is the HS code for plastic bottle?
Plastic bottle falls under HS heading 3923 (Plastic articles for the conveyance or packing of goods; stoppers, lids, caps and other closures of plastics). The six-digit codes under it split the product by type.
How can I find the companies trading plastic bottle 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.
Plastic bottle trade in other countries
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