HMRC records show 2,435 businesses trading internationally from Manchester over the last six months. That makes it the busiest trading location in Greater Manchester. Most of that activity sits in electrical machinery and electronics, plastics and plastic articles, machinery and mechanical appliances. Looking ahead, our model expects import activity here to pick up by around 1.3% over the next three months.
Refreshed every 24 hours · last run 25/08/2026 at 11:41HMRC release in view: Jun 26Snapshot: 2026-08-25.1
27,087Import declarations▼ 9.7% on the 6 months before
5,583Export declarations
+1.3%Forecast, next 3 monthsBased on 2 years of data
2,435Trading 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 2,435 businesses.
★ Most active in ManchesterFiled more customs declarations than any other Manchester business over the last six months — roughly 3% of the town's total import activity, mostly in mineral fuels and oils.
Most active business
HILTI (GT BRITAIN) LTD
717 import declarations52 export declarationsM1 *Ch. 27Ch. 32Ch. 34Ch. 38Active in 6 of the last 6 months
Recent shipments include threaded screws and bolts, of iron or steel, whether or not with their nuts and washers (excl. coach screws and other wood screws, screw hooks and screw rings, self-tapping screws, lag screws, stoppers, plugs and the like, threaded), electromechanical tools for working in the hand, with self-contained electric motor (excl. saws and drills), self-tapping screws, of iron or steel (excl. wood screws).
▼ Expected to slow by 1.7% over the next 3 months, based on their last 2 years
Imports — 2 years of monthly activity717 in the last 6 months
Exports — 2 years of monthly activity52 in the last 6 months
Earlier monthsLast 6 monthsOur forecast for the next 3
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Among the most active
THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER
290 import declarations46 export declarationsM13 *Ch. 01Ch. 05Ch. 23Ch. 25Active in 6 of the last 6 months
Recent shipments include microtomes; parts and accessories of instruments and apparatus for physical or chemical analysis, instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking viscosity, porosity, expansion, surface tension or the like, instruments and apparatus for measuring, nucleic acids and their salts, whether or not chemically defined; heterocyclic compounds (excl. with oxygen only or with nitrogen hetero-atom[s] only, compounds containing in the structure an unfused thiazole ring or a benzothiazole or phenothiazine, diagnostic or laboratory reagents on a backing, prepared diagnostic or laboratory reagents whether or not on a backing, whether or not put up in the form of kits (excl. for malaria, for zika and other diseases transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus a.
▲ Expected to increase by 2.2% over the next 3 months, based on their last 2 years
Imports — 2 years of monthly activity290 in the last 6 months
Exports — 2 years of monthly activity46 in the last 6 months
Earlier monthsLast 6 monthsOur forecast for the next 3
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Among the most active
BOOHOO.COM UK LIMITED
513 import declarations137 export declarationsM1 *Ch. 21Ch. 25Ch. 30Ch. 32Active in 6 of the last 6 months
Recent shipments include footwear with outer soles and uppers of rubber or plastics (excl. covering the ankle or with upper straps or thongs assembled to the sole by means of plugs, waterproof footwear of heading 6401, sports footwear, orthopaedic footwear and toy footwear), men's or boys' trousers, bib and brace overalls, breeches and shorts, of cotton (excl. knitted or crocheted, underpants and swimwear), women's or girls' trousers, bib and brace overalls, breeches and shorts of cotton (excl. knitted or crocheted, panties and swimwear).
▼ Expected to slow by 3.1% over the next 3 months, based on their last 2 years
Imports — 2 years of monthly activity513 in the last 6 months
Exports — 2 years of monthly activity137 in the last 6 months
Earlier monthsLast 6 monthsOur forecast for the next 3
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Among the most active
NORDEX UK LIMITED
446 import declarations192 export declarationsM20 *Ch. 27Ch. 30Ch. 32Ch. 34Active in 6 of the last 6 months
Recent shipments include static converters, articles of iron or steel, n.e.s. (excl. cast articles or articles of iron or steel wire), threaded screws and bolts, of iron or steel, whether or not with their nuts and washers (excl. coach screws and other wood screws, screw hooks and screw rings, self-tapping screws, lag screws, stoppers, plugs and the like, threaded).
▲ Expected to increase by 2.6% over the next 3 months, based on their last 2 years
Imports — 2 years of monthly activity446 in the last 6 months
Exports — 2 years of monthly activity192 in the last 6 months
Earlier monthsLast 6 monthsOur forecast for the next 3
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Among the most active
TESLA MOTORS LIMITED
484 import declarations100 export declarationsM11 *Ch. 32Ch. 35Ch. 38Ch. 39Active in 6 of the last 6 months
Recent shipments include static converters, ac motors, multi-phase, of an output > 75 kw, boards, cabinets and similar combinations of apparatus for electric control or the distribution of electricity, for a voltage <= 1.000 v.
▼ Expected to slow by 3.3% over the next 3 months, based on their last 2 years
Imports — 2 years of monthly activity484 in the last 6 months
Exports — 2 years of monthly activity100 in the last 6 months
Earlier monthsLast 6 monthsOur forecast for the next 3
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2,425 more Manchester businesses
Every importer and exporter in M1 / M11 / M12 / M13 with monthly activity, 24-month indicators, forecasts, Companies House records, AI research and validated contact reveals.
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What Manchester trades
The most frequently declared goods across all 2,435 businesses in the last six months — useful for picking which trade lanes to prospect.
Articles of plastics and articles of other materials of heading 3901 to 3914, n.e.s (excl. goods of 9619)Jerseys, pullovers, cardigans, waistcoats and similar articles, of man-made fibres, knitted or crocheted (excl. wadded waistcoats)Jerseys, pullovers, cardigans, waistcoats and similar articles, of cotton, knitted or crocheted (excl. wadded waistcoats)Travelling-bags, insulated food or beverage bags, toilet bags, rucksacks, shopping-bags, map-cases, tool bags, sports bags, jewellery boxes, cutlery cases, binocular cases, camera cases, musical instrument cases, gun cases, holsters and similar contaT-shirts, singlets and other vests of cotton, knitted or crochetedTricycles, scooters, pedal cars and similar wheeled toys; dolls' carriages; dolls; other toys; reduced-size "scale" recreational models, working or not; puzzles of all kindsT-shirts, singlets and other vests of textile materials, knitted or crocheted (excl. cotton)Static converters
Common questions about trade in Manchester
How many businesses import or export from Manchester?
HMRC customs records show 2,435 businesses in Manchester (M1, M11, M12, M13) filed declarations over the last six months — 27,087 import declarations and 5,583 export declarations in total. This page is rebuilt every 24 hours as new HMRC data is published.
What do Manchester businesses import most?
The most common category is electrical machinery and electronics. Across all Manchester traders the leading goods are articles of plastics and articles of other materials of heading 3901 to 3914, n.e.s (excl. goods of 9619), jerseys, pullovers, cardigans, waistcoats and similar articles, of man-made fibres, knitted or crocheted (excl. wadded waistcoats), jerseys, pullovers, cardigans, waistcoats and similar articles, of cotton, knitted or crocheted (excl. wadded waistcoats), travelling-bags, insulated food or beverage bags, toilet bags, rucksacks, shopping-bags, map-cases, tool bags, sports bags, jewellery boxes, cutlery cases, binocular cases, camera cases, musical instrument cases, gun cases, holsters and similar conta. You can filter the full list by HMRC category once logged in.
Is trade from Manchester growing?
Import activity is down 9.7% compared with the previous six months. Our model, which reads two years of monthly history, expects the next three months to rise by roughly 1.3%. That figure is our estimate, not an HMRC projection.
How do I get contact details for Manchester importers?
Create an account to see all 2,435 businesses, open their Companies House records, run AI research on their website and buying signals, and reveal validated email and LinkedIn contacts.
Nearby in Greater Manchester
Other Greater Manchester locations with active customs entries.