Over the last six months, 547 Bedford businesses filed customs declarations. That puts it second in Bedfordshire for trade activity. Most of that activity sits in machinery and mechanical appliances, electrical machinery and electronics, optical, photographic and medical instruments. Looking ahead, our model expects import activity here to ease back by around 8.5% over the next three months.
Refreshed every 24 hours · last run 05/10/2026 at 06:14HMRC release in view: Aug 26Snapshot: 2026-10-04.1
6,134Import declarations▼ 16.2% on the 6 months before
2,944Export declarations
−8.5%Forecast, next 3 monthsBased on 2 years of data
547Trading businesses
Top 10 businesses by 6-month activity Free tier
Ranked by declaration volume and months active. Hover any bar in the 24-month indicators for that month's figures. Log in for keyword search and HMRC category filters across all 547 businesses.
★ Most active in BedfordFiled more customs declarations than any other Bedford business over the last six months — roughly 4% of the town's total import activity, mostly in miscellaneous food preparations.
Most active business
VERTIV INFRASTRUCTURE LTD
222 import declarations37 export declarationsMK44 *Ch. 21Ch. 38Ch. 39Ch. 40Active in 5 of the last 6 months
Recent shipments include fans (excl. table, floor, wall, window, ceiling or roof fans, with a self-contained electric motor of an output <= 125 w), air conditioning machines incorporating a refrigerating unit but without a valve for reversal of the cooling-heat cycle (excl. of a kind used for persons in motor vehicles, and self-contained or "split-system" window or wall air conditioning machines, articles of iron or steel, n.e.s. (excl. cast articles or articles of iron or steel wire).
▲ Expected to increase by 6.0% over the next 3 months, based on their last 2 years
Imports — 2 years of monthly activity222 in the last 6 months
Exports — 2 years of monthly activity37 in the last 6 months
Earlier monthsLast 6 monthsOur forecast for the next 3
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Among the most active
SKOULIKAS BEDFORD LTD
154 import declarations6 export declarationsMK42 *Ch. 02Ch. 04Ch. 07Ch. 10Active in 5 of the last 6 months
Recent shipments include bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits and other bakers' wares, whether or not containing cocoa; communion wafers, empty cachets of a kind suitable for pharmaceutical use, sealing wafers, rice paper and similar products (excl. crispbread, gingerbread and the, cheese (excl. fresh cheese, incl. whey cheese, curd, processed cheese, blue-veined cheese and other cheese containing veins produced by "penicillium roqueforti", and grated or powdered cheese), sweet biscuits.
▼ Expected to slow by 12.5% over the next 3 months, based on their last 2 years
Imports — 2 years of monthly activity154 in the last 6 months
Exports — 2 years of monthly activity6 in the last 6 months
Earlier monthsLast 6 monthsOur forecast for the next 3
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Among the most active
RAJAPACK LIMITED
150 import declarations5 export declarationsMK43 *Ch. 28Ch. 35Ch. 38Ch. 39Active in 5 of the last 6 months
Recent shipments include unbleached kraft paper and paperboard, uncoated, in rolls of a width > 36 cm or in square or rectangular sheets with one side > 36 cm and the other side > 15 cm in the unfolded state, weighing <= 150 g/m (excl. kraftliner, sack kraft paper and goods, kraft paper and paperboard, uncoated, in rolls of a width > 36 cm or in square or rectangular sheets with one side > 36 cm and the other side > 15 cm in the unfolded state, weighing <= 150 g/m (excl. unbleached, kraftliner, sack kraft paper and good, self-adhesive paper and paperboard, surface-coloured, surface-decorated or printed, in rolls or in square or rectangular sheets, of any size (excl. goods of heading 4810).
▲ Expected to increase by 0.0% over the next 3 months, based on their last 2 years
Imports — 2 years of monthly activity150 in the last 6 months
Exports — 2 years of monthly activity5 in the last 6 months
Earlier monthsLast 6 monthsOur forecast for the next 3
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Among the most active
LENZE LIMITED
132 import declarations16 export declarationsMK44 *Ch. 27Ch. 39Ch. 40Ch. 49Active in 5 of the last 6 months
Recent shipments include gears and gearing for machinery (excl. toothed wheels, chain sprockets and other transmission elements presented separately); ball or roller screws; gear boxes and other speed changers, incl. torque converters, clutches and shaft couplings, incl. universal joints, for machinery, toothed wheels, chain sprockets and other transmission elements presented separately; parts of transmission shafts, ball screws, couplings and other articles of heading 8483, n.e.s..
▼ Expected to slow by 7.4% over the next 3 months, based on their last 2 years
Imports — 2 years of monthly activity132 in the last 6 months
Exports — 2 years of monthly activity16 in the last 6 months
Earlier monthsLast 6 monthsOur forecast for the next 3
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Among the most active
KARTELL UK LTD
93 import declarations53 export declarationsMK41 *Ch. 32Ch. 39Ch. 68Ch. 69Active in 5 of the last 6 months
Recent shipments include appliances for pipes, boiler shells, tanks, vats or the like (excl. pressure-reducing valves, valves for the control of pneumatic power transmission, check "non-return" valves and safety or relief valves), ceramic sinks, washbasins, washbasin pedestals, baths, bidets, water closet pans, flushing cisterns, urinals and similar sanitary fixtures (excl. of porcelain or china, soap dishes, sponge holders, tooth-brush holders, towel hooks and toilet paper ho, glass mirrors, framed (excl. rear-view mirrors for vehicles, optical mirrors, optically processed, and mirrors of an age of > 100 years).
▼ Expected to slow by 4.6% over the next 3 months, based on their last 2 years
Imports — 2 years of monthly activity93 in the last 6 months
Exports — 2 years of monthly activity53 in the last 6 months
Earlier monthsLast 6 monthsOur forecast for the next 3
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537 more Bedford businesses
Every importer and exporter in MK40 / MK41 / MK42 / MK43 with monthly activity, 24-month indicators, forecasts, Companies House records, AI research and validated contact reveals.
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What Bedford trades
The most frequently declared goods across all 547 businesses in the last six months — useful for picking which trade lanes to prospect.
Appliances for pipes, boiler shells, tanks, vats or the like (excl. pressure-reducing valves, valves for the control of pneumatic power transmission, check "non-return" valves and safety or relief valves)Articles of iron or steel, n.e.s. (excl. cast articles or articles of iron or steel wire)Parts of machines and mechanical appliances, n.e.s.Food preparations, n.e.s.Parts and accessories, for tractors, motor vehicles for the transport of ten or more persons, motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, motor vehicles for the transport of goods and special purpose motor vGears and gearing for machinery (excl. toothed wheels, chain sprockets and other transmission elements presented separately); ball or roller screws; gear boxes and other speed changers, incl. torque convertersBeauty or make-up preparations and preparations for the care of the skin (other than medicaments), incl. sunscreen or suntan preparations (excl. medicaments, lip and eye make-up preparations, manicure or pedicure preparations and make-up or skin careClutches and shaft couplings, incl. universal joints, for machinery
Common questions about trade in Bedford
How many businesses import or export from Bedford?
HMRC customs records show 547 businesses in Bedford (MK40, MK41, MK42, MK43) filed declarations over the last six months — 6,134 import declarations and 2,944 export declarations in total. This page is rebuilt every 24 hours as new HMRC data is published.
What do Bedford businesses import most?
The most common category is machinery and mechanical appliances. Across all Bedford traders the leading goods are appliances for pipes, boiler shells, tanks, vats or the like (excl. pressure-reducing valves, valves for the control of pneumatic power transmission, check "non-return" valves and safety or relief valves), articles of iron or steel, n.e.s. (excl. cast articles or articles of iron or steel wire), parts of machines and mechanical appliances, n.e.s., food preparations, n.e.s.. You can filter the full list by HMRC category once logged in.
Is trade from Bedford growing?
Import activity is down 16.2% compared with the previous six months. Our model, which reads two years of monthly history, expects the next three months to soften by roughly 8.5%. That figure is our estimate, not an HMRC projection.
How do I get contact details for Bedford importers?
Create an account to see all 547 businesses, open their Companies House records, run AI research on their website and buying signals, and reveal validated email and LinkedIn contacts.
Nearby in Bedfordshire
Other Bedfordshire locations with active customs entries.