Import From China Business

A practical guide for starting a small business

2010-2012  Copyright import-from-china-business.com

Import from China
Sell on eBay

Sandra Kell
Ontario, Canada
Baby Products
Profit This Year: $10,400

“I started with $1,000 and began importing baby products from China. I sell them on eBay, Facebook and in my local stores.  After 8 months, I am earning $400 a week.  I finally quit my day job!”

Learn How

UK Industry

Overview of UK Industry

UK industry declined in its competitiveness in the 1970's due to lower labour costs around the globe especially those from Asia.  By the following decade, the conservative government under Margaret Thatcher began a process of privatizing much of UK's manufacturing industries such as car, truck, aircraft, and steel.  UK was the first country to switch from an agricultural to a manufacturing driven country during a historical period called the industrial revolution.

The major manufacturing industries within UK today are: engineering, food and drink, metals, minerals, tobacco, printing, chemical, paper, clothing and footwear.  Much of the UK economy is dependent on trade with other countries.  For instance, UK imports about one third of its food supply.  Many of the raw materials for manufacturing must be imported.

Return from UK Industry to UK Imports

Return from UK Industry to Home Page

Photo Credits: Feet 2 - Elvis Santana

Major UK Industries

Clothing

• Growth of international trade has had a negative impact on the apparel industry in UK.  Imports from developing countries have dominated the domestic market.  UK manufacturing companies have relocated their facilities to lower cost countries such as India and China.  This trend continues to grow today.  Jobs in this manufacturing sector have declined accordingly.  It represents a good opportunity for those importers in UK interested in buying fashion overseas.   

Footwear

• The decline in footwear manufacturing and footwear exports in UK began several decades ago.  To remain competitive, many of the UK footwear production have moved to cheaper sites outside of the UK.  Materials have shifted away from leather to less expensive plastics and vinyl.  Similar to the clothing industry, the remaining footwear manufacturers in UK began a process of specialization such as focusing on high end sports footwear.

Food and Drink

• UK's Food and Drink industry is the country's largest manufacturing industry.  It employs over 400,000 employees across 7000 companies.  As an industry, it is quite diverse.  Food products include bakery, confectionary, dairy and processed foods.  Drinks include various kinds of soft drinks and alcoholic beverages.  Due to its energy intensive process, reducing CO2 emissions and footprint is a growing trend amongst Food & Drink companies.

Tobacco

• The tobacco industry in the UK produces cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, rolling tobacco and snuff.  The industry is capital intensive due to the high degree of automation.  It is also heavily taxed as a revenue source for the U.K. government.  This industry has caused much public debate over the years due to the health risks associated with the products.  Smoking advertising has been scrutinized.

Printing

• There are more than 10,000 printing companies in UK employing well over 150,000 employees.  Although this industry has over capacity resulting in declining prices, it is still one of the largest industries in UK.  Products in the printing industry include newspapers, magazines, books, stationary, greeting cards, banknotes and postage stamps.  The two largest printing companies in UK are St. Ives and Stephens and George.  St. Ives is focused on advertising and magazine printing.  Stephens and George specializes in sheet-fed litho printing of magazines and commercial products.

Chemical

• The chemical industry in the UK adds value by converting chemicals and selling the products for further conversion or for manufacturing into final products.  Such final products cover a wide range of categories from soaps, dyes, fuels, fuel additives, pesticides, fertilizers, paints, cleaners, inks, and medicines.  The chemical industry is one of the largest exports in the UK as measured by sales.  Much of the industry is regulated due to product safety and the potential impact on the environment. Reducing carbon emissions and the green movement are topics of great interest today.

Paper

• The production of paper in UK has its origins linking it to the Chinese.  The knowledge of making paper migrated from China to the Middle East and then to Europe by the eleventh century. John Tate operated UK's first paper mill on the River Lee near Hertford by the end of the fifteenth century.  Today, the production of paper in UK receives lots of attention from the Green movement due to forestry being a renewable resource. The paper industry has shifted to using recycled paper as a major raw material.  In fact, the UK has a surplus of waste paper due to the country's increasing recycling efforts.  About a third of the country's waste paper is exported to china and the Far East. Much of the paper making process has improved to be "green" friendly with goals of reducing carbon emission.

Engineering

• The engineering industry in UK can be broken down into electrical, electronic, instrumentation, transportation and mechanical types of engineering.  Many of the firms involved in engineering produce products that are highly profitable ranging from telecommunications to aerospace.  

Metals

• The metal industry is one of UK's great exports.  Much of the industry is evolved around the production of steel for use in motor vehicle manufacturing, wire, cans, metal boxes and industrial plants.  The metal industry peaked in the 1970's until the oil crisis.  A shift to the production of smaller automobiles has negatively impacted the steel demand.  One of the most important steel companies in UK is the British Steele Corporation. It produces the majority of the nation's iron and steel supply.
• The UK metal industry still needs to import about one quarter of the finished steel products to UK.  UK also imports about half of its demand for crude steel.  Steel rods typically come from Turkey or Venezuela, and structural beams from Japan or Thailand.

Minerals

• The minerals industry in the UK covers cement, glass and ceramics.  Sand, gravel and limestone are used in the construction industry to make cement.  Other minerals valued are slate, tale, chalk, talc, clay, sandstone, gypsum, barite, celestite, dolomite and kaolin.

UK Industry & Import Opportunities

For the UK importer, it is important to understand the trends within the major UK industries.  For industries which already import much of the products such as footwear or clothing, there may be direct import opportunities.  For UK industries with a strong export orientation such as paper, there may be opportunities to supply paper industry with products and services used by the industry.  Take your time and explore the UK import opportunities accordingly.