🇬🇧 United Kingdom imports of railway freight cars: 2024 trade data
Imports of railway freight cars by the United Kingdom reached $46.1 million in 2024 (6.8 thousand tonnes). Its share of world imports was 1%. Value fell 15% from 2023. Across 2017-2024 the long-run trend was broadly stable. The peak in this period was 2022, at $73.7 million.
Public statistics, latest reported year 2024. Values in US dollars.
Imports of railway freight cars by year, 2017-2024
Hover or tap a year for detail.
Year by year
| Year | Value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $46.1M | 6.8K t |
| 2023 | $54.4M | 10.4K t |
| 2022 | $73.7M | 15.3K t |
| 2021 | $48.0M | 11.9K t |
| 2020 | $26.1M | 4.7K t |
| 2019 | $51.4M | 8.8K t |
| 2018 | $18.9M | 4.8K t |
| 2017 | $27.8M | 5.4K t |
Where the United Kingdom imports railway freight cars from
One supplier dominates: Poland accounted for 58% of the value.
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇵🇱 Poland | $26.8M | 58% |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | $17.6M | 38% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $1.1M | 2.5% |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | $304K | 0.7% |
| 🇺🇦 Ukraine | $54K | 0.1% |
| 🇨🇳 China | $48K | 0.1% |
| 🇫🇷 France | $39K | 0.1% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $23K | 0.1% |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | $19K | 0% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $14K | 0% |
Types of railway freight cars under HS 8606
| 8606.30 | Railway or tramway goods vans and wagons: self-discharging, not self-propelled, excluding those of item no. 8606.10 | 45% |
| 8606.99 | Railway or tramway goods vans and wagons: n.e.c. in heading no. 8606, not self-propelled | 36% |
| 8606.92 | Railway or tramway goods vans and wagons: open, with non-removable sides of a height exceeding 60cm, not self-propelled | 19% |
| 8606.10 | Railway or tramway goods vans and wagons: tank wagons and the like, not self-propelled | 0.2% |
| 8606.91 | Railway or tramway goods vans and wagons: covered and closed, not self-propelled | 0.1% |
Codes and full descriptions: HS heading 8606.
Average import price of railway freight cars
The average declared value was about $6.74 per kg, 38% above the world average of $4.88. 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 railway freight cars
The United Kingdom exported $2.8 million of railway freight cars in 2024 (3.3 thousand tonnes). One buyer market dominates: France accounted for 61% of the value. Among the main buyer markets, France grew fastest (+39% on the year before).
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇫🇷 France | $1.7M | 61% |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | $292K | 11% |
| 🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | $190K | 6.9% |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | $157K | 5.7% |
| 🇨🇾 Cyprus | $150K | 5.5% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $131K | 4.8% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $58K | 2.1% |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $35K | 1.3% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $17K | 0.6% |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | $12K | 0.4% |
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 8606: Railway or tramway goods vans and wagons; not self-propelled.
Railway freight cars trade in the United Kingdom: questions
What is the value of railway freight cars imported by the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom imported railway freight cars worth $46.1 million in 2024 (6.8 thousand tonnes).
Where does the United Kingdom import railway freight cars from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were Poland (58%), Romania (38%), Germany (2%).
What is the average import price of railway freight cars in the United Kingdom?
The average declared import value was about $6.74 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $4.88 per kg.
Does the United Kingdom export railway freight cars?
Yes. The United Kingdom exported railway freight cars worth $2.8 million in 2024, mainly to France, Sweden, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
What is the HS code for railway freight cars?
Railway freight cars falls under HS heading 8606 (Railway or tramway goods vans and wagons; not self-propelled). The six-digit codes under it split the product by type.
How can I find the companies trading railway freight cars 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.
Railway freight cars trade in other countries
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