🇬🇧 United Kingdom imports of polystyrene: 2024 trade data
The United Kingdom imported $349.3 million of polystyrene in 2024 (179.7 thousand tonnes). Its share of world imports was 2%. The value was almost unchanged from 2023. Across 2017-2024 the long-run trend was broadly stable. The peak in this period was 2021, at $567.4 million.
Public statistics, latest reported year 2024. Values in US dollars.
Imports of polystyrene by year, 2017-2024
Hover or tap a year for detail.
Year by year
| Year | Value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $349.3M | 179.7K t |
| 2023 | $342.3M | 175.7K t |
| 2022 | $477.4M | 196.7K t |
| 2021 | $567.4M | 265.3K t |
| 2020 | $313.7M | 212.0K t |
| 2019 | $398.0M | 242.4K t |
| 2018 | $465.9M | 249.2K t |
| 2017 | $411.0M | 245.9K t |
Where the United Kingdom imports polystyrene from
Most of the value came from Germany (22%), Belgium (16%), Netherlands (13%).
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $76.9M | 22% |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | $55.9M | 16% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $44.8M | 13% |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | $29.5M | 8.5% |
| 🇫🇷 France | $26.8M | 7.7% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $13.2M | 3.8% |
| Taiwan | $11.9M | 3.4% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $11.9M | 3.4% |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | $10.6M | 3% |
| 🇫🇮 Finland | $9.9M | 2.8% |
Types of polystyrene under HS 3903
| 3903.11 | Styrene polymers: expansible polystyrene, in primary forms | 37% |
| 3903.30 | Styrene polymers: acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymers, in primary forms | 25% |
| 3903.90 | Styrene polymers: in primary forms, n.e.c. in heading no. 3903 | 19% |
| 3903.19 | Styrene polymers: (other than expansible polystyrene), in primary forms | 18% |
| 3903.20 | Styrene polymers: styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) copolymers, in primary forms | 2% |
Codes and full descriptions: HS heading 3903.
Average import price of polystyrene
The average declared value was about $1.94 per kg, close to the world average of $1.69.
Declared value divided by weight, all 2024 shipments. Prices per shipment and per company are in EximDataX.
The United Kingdom also exports polystyrene
Exports of polystyrene by the United Kingdom reached $66.1 million in 2024 (46.0 thousand tonnes). The largest buyer markets were Malaysia (20%), Germany (12%), Belgium (7%). Trade is spread widely: the top three buyer markets together make up only 40%. Among the main buyer markets, Portugal grew fastest, more than tenfold on the year before.
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $13.5M | 21% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $8.1M | 12% |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | $4.9M | 7.4% |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | $4.6M | 6.9% |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | $4.5M | 6.8% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $3.7M | 5.7% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $3.2M | 4.9% |
| 🇫🇷 France | $3.0M | 4.6% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $2.0M | 3.1% |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | $1.9M | 2.8% |
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 3903: Polymers of styrene, in primary forms.
Polystyrene trade in the United Kingdom: questions
What is the value of polystyrene imported by the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom imported polystyrene worth $349.3 million in 2024 (179.7 thousand tonnes).
Where does the United Kingdom import polystyrene from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were Germany (22%), Belgium (16%), Netherlands (13%).
What is the average import price of polystyrene in the United Kingdom?
The average declared import value was about $1.94 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $1.69 per kg.
Does the United Kingdom export polystyrene?
Yes. The United Kingdom exported polystyrene worth $66.1 million in 2024, mainly to Malaysia, Germany, Belgium.
What is the HS code for polystyrene?
Polystyrene falls under HS heading 3903 (Polymers of styrene, in primary forms). The six-digit codes under it split the product by type.
How can I find the companies trading polystyrene 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.
Polystyrene trade in other countries
More trade data for the United Kingdom
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