🇬🇧 United Kingdom imports of steel drums: 2024 trade data
In 2024, the United Kingdom imported steel drums worth $314.7 million (68.3 thousand tonnes). It ranks 7th of 221 countries for imports of this product. Value fell 7% from 2023. Across 2017-2024 the long-run trend was broadly stable. The peak in this period was 2022, at $393.8 million.
Public statistics, latest reported year 2024. Values in US dollars.
Imports of steel drums by year, 2017-2024
Hover or tap a year for detail.
Year by year
| Year | Value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $314.7M | 68.3K t |
| 2023 | $339.0M | 67.4K t |
| 2022 | $393.8M | 75.9K t |
| 2021 | $317.3M | 67.0K t |
| 2020 | $216.3M | 58.7K t |
| 2019 | $260.0M | 66.5K t |
| 2018 | $354.4M | 123.9K t |
| 2017 | $262.2M | 88.6K t |
Where the United Kingdom imports steel drums from
The largest suppliers were China (24%), Turkey (13%), Germany (12%). Trade is spread widely: the top three suppliers together make up only 49%. Among the main suppliers, Ireland grew fastest (+97% on the year before).
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 China | $76.0M | 24% |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey | $41.0M | 13% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $38.2M | 12% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $35.3M | 11% |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | $23.5M | 7.5% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $17.2M | 5.5% |
| 🇫🇷 France | $13.0M | 4.1% |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | $12.2M | 3.9% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $11.1M | 3.5% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $7.6M | 2.4% |
Types of steel drums under HS 7310
| 7310.29 | Tanks, casks, drums, boxes and similar containers for any material (excluding compressed or liquefied gas) less than 50l capacity, n.e.c. in item no.… | 55% |
| 7310.21 | Cans: which are to be closed by soldering or crimping, for any material (excluding compressed or liquefied gas), less than 50l capacity, of iron or… | 31% |
| 7310.10 | Tanks, casks, drums, cans, boxes and similar containers, for any material (excluding compressed or liquefied gas), 50l or more capacity but not… | 15% |
Codes and full descriptions: HS heading 7310.
Average import price of steel drums
The average declared value was about $4.61 per kg, 22% above the world average of $3.78. 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 steel drums
The United Kingdom exported $243.0 million of steel drums in 2024 (53.9 thousand tonnes). That makes it the 9th largest exporter of this product worldwide, out of 189 countries. The largest buyer markets were France (27%), Netherlands (14%), Belgium (10%). Among the main buyer markets, Saudi Arabia grew fastest (+336% on the year before).
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇫🇷 France | $66.4M | 27% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $34.0M | 14% |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | $24.7M | 10% |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | $17.7M | 7.3% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $14.8M | 6.1% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $14.3M | 5.9% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $11.4M | 4.7% |
| Taiwan | $8.9M | 3.7% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $7.5M | 3.1% |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | $6.4M | 2.6% |
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 7310: Tanks, casks, drums, cans, boxes and similar containers, for any material (excluding compressed or liquefied gas), of iron or steel, capacity not exceeding 300l, whether or not lined or heat-insulated.
Steel drums trade in the United Kingdom: questions
What is the value of steel drums imported by the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom imported steel drums worth $314.7 million in 2024 (68.3 thousand tonnes).
Where does the United Kingdom import steel drums from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were China (24%), Turkey (13%), Germany (12%).
What is the average import price of steel drums in the United Kingdom?
The average declared import value was about $4.61 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $3.78 per kg.
Does the United Kingdom export steel drums?
Yes. The United Kingdom exported steel drums worth $243.0 million in 2024, mainly to France, Netherlands, Belgium.
What is the HS code for steel drums?
Steel drums falls under HS heading 7310 (Tanks, casks, drums, cans, boxes and similar containers, for any material (excluding compressed or liquefied gas), of ir). The six-digit codes under it split the product by type.
How can I find the companies trading steel drums 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.
Steel drums trade in other countries
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