Import/export HS code 52: Cotton products
All types of cotton, including raw cotton, cotton fibers, and cotton-based materials
Why this is important if you are looking for potential customers in the UK:
- It helps you understand the market size for your product in the UK.
- It provides you with a list of potential leads who have bought similar products.
* UK only, last 24 months analysed
Imports by country
What this shows: Import market volume by exporter country into the UK.
Top 5 values
| Country | £ |
|---|---|
| Austria | 62,838,391 |
| Italy | 55,857,029 |
| Pakistan | 51,283,762 |
| India | 29,683,930 |
| China | 21,285,526 |
Countries rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Countries are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month volume, right side by second 12-month volume, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Country | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 28,415,849 | 34,422,542 | +6,006,693 |
| Italy | 31,157,886 | 24,699,143 | -6,458,743 |
| Pakistan | 29,001,842 | 22,281,920 | -6,719,922 |
| India | 16,307,393 | 13,376,537 | -2,930,856 |
| China | 13,164,805 | 8,120,721 | -5,044,084 |
| Turkey | 10,508,596 | 7,877,097 | -2,631,499 |
| Netherlands | 9,072,254 | 8,531,851 | -540,403 |
| Germany | 8,266,971 | 6,841,483 | -1,425,488 |
| Spain | 7,238,637 | 6,388,003 | -850,634 |
| France | 5,856,384 | 5,847,750 | -8,634 |
Imports by country of origin
What this shows: Import volume by production origin country. Differences from exporter-country data can indicate re-export routes.
Top 5 values
| Origin | £ |
|---|---|
| Austria | 63,135,420 |
| Pakistan | 53,638,905 |
| Italy | 43,758,204 |
| India | 37,861,519 |
| China | 25,691,263 |
Country of origin rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Origin countries are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month import value, right side by second 12-month import value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Origin | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 28,588,630 | 34,546,790 | +5,958,160 |
| Pakistan | 30,537,724 | 23,101,181 | -7,436,543 |
| Italy | 23,742,039 | 20,016,165 | -3,725,874 |
| India | 20,598,506 | 17,263,013 | -3,335,493 |
| China | 15,135,746 | 10,555,517 | -4,580,229 |
| Turkey | 12,097,766 | 9,464,836 | -2,632,930 |
| Spain | 7,495,712 | 6,667,390 | -828,322 |
| Egypt | 6,192,416 | 7,782,939 | +1,590,523 |
| Netherlands | 6,556,512 | 7,170,662 | +614,150 |
| Germany | 7,265,682 | 5,208,307 | -2,057,375 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 241 |
| Greater Manchester | 103 |
| West Yorkshire | 84 |
| Inner London - East | 83 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 78 |
UK regions rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: UK regions are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month importer count, right side by second 12-month importer count, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| UK region | First 12m | Second 12m | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 173 | 152 | -21 |
| Greater Manchester | 81 | 65 | -16 |
| West Yorkshire | 69 | 56 | -13 |
| Inner London - East | 67 | 49 | -18 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 58 | 49 | -9 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 50 | 24 | -26 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 40 | 36 | -4 |
| West Midlands | 41 | 26 | -15 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 37 | 33 | -4 |
| Lancashire | 37 | 33 | -4 |
Import volume by transport
What this shows: Import value by transport mode used to bring goods into the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 146,434,576 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 137,326,261 |
| Air transport | 50,632,389 |
| Road transport | 4,829,913 |
| Other | 4,046,214 |
Transport rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Transport modes are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month import value, right side by second 12-month import value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Transport | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 80,352,396 | 66,082,180 | -14,270,216 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 69,381,139 | 67,945,122 | -1,436,017 |
| Air transport | 27,919,927 | 22,712,462 | -5,207,465 |
| Road transport | 1,925,011 | 2,904,902 | +979,891 |
| Other | 3,681,343 | 364,871 | -3,316,472 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Southampton | 49,290,062 |
| London | 44,659,452 |
| Dover | 38,310,048 |
| Felixstowe | 31,306,374 |
| Thamesport | 29,071,724 |
Port rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Ports are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month import value, right side by second 12-month import value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Port | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southampton | 29,488,671 | 19,801,391 | -9,687,280 |
| London | 21,234,693 | 23,424,759 | +2,190,066 |
| Dover | 19,126,997 | 19,183,051 | +56,054 |
| Felixstowe | 19,057,082 | 12,249,292 | -6,807,790 |
| Thamesport | 15,217,792 | 13,853,932 | -1,363,860 |
| Eurotunnel | 12,618,574 | 11,517,326 | -1,101,248 |
| London Gateway Port | 8,695,692 | 11,818,592 | +3,122,900 |
| Birmingham Airport | 9,155,345 | 9,201,796 | +46,451 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 6,667,105 | 5,479,434 | -1,187,671 |
| East Midlands Airport | 6,982,668 | 3,721,986 | -3,260,682 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
|
Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles
|
442 |
|
Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles
|
436 |
|
Manufacture of textiles
|
156 |
|
Manufacture of wearing apparel
|
97 |
|
Other manufacturing
|
64 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-05 | 283 |
| 2026-04 | 277 |
| 2026-03 | 285 |
| 2026-02 | 264 |
| 2026-01 | 251 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| ROMO LIMITED | 125 |
| ROBERT SCOTT & SONS LIMITED | 125 |
| COLEFAX GROUP PLC | 125 |
| SANDERSON DESIGN GROUP PLC | 124 |
| JOHN COTTON GROUP LIMITED | 124 |
| ASHLEY WILDE GROUP LIMITED | 124 |
| DESIGNERS GUILD LIMITED | 124 |
| PREMIER TEXTILES LIMITED | 124 |
| PRESTIGIOUS TEXTILES LIMITED | 124 |
| FRYETT'S FABRICS LIMITED | 124 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 615 |
| 0-1m | 334 |
| 54m+ | 221 |
| 15m-54m | 148 |
| Other | 79 |
Import seasonality
What this shows: Average monthly import pattern from historical data.
Exports by country
What this shows: Export market volume by destination country from the UK.
Top 5 values
| Country | £ |
|---|---|
| Nigeria | 79,189,432 |
| France | 20,989,161 |
| United States | 20,240,738 |
| Netherlands | 12,737,949 |
| Germany | 10,955,905 |
Export countries rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Destination countries are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month export volume, right side by second 12-month export volume, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Country | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 35,830,391 | 43,359,041 | +7,528,650 |
| France | 12,344,071 | 8,645,090 | -3,698,981 |
| United States | 10,604,068 | 9,636,670 | -967,398 |
| Netherlands | 7,232,131 | 5,505,818 | -1,726,313 |
| Germany | 6,053,967 | 4,901,938 | -1,152,029 |
| Italy | 5,233,646 | 5,409,105 | +175,459 |
| Senegal | 4,047,237 | 3,987,475 | -59,762 |
| United Arab Emirates | 3,439,109 | 2,879,509 | -559,600 |
| Morocco | 2,862,584 | 2,160,346 | -702,238 |
| Romania | 1,610,350 | 2,088,636 | +478,286 |
Exports by country of origin
What this shows: Export volume by production origin country. For re-exports, indicates where goods originated before UK export.
Top 5 values
| Origin | £ |
|---|---|
| Portugal | 61,140 |
| China | 51,063 |
| India | 36,562 |
| XI | 31,728 |
| Spain | 24,659 |
Export origin countries rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Origin countries are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month export value, right side by second 12-month export value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Origin | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 20,020 | 41,120 | +21,100 |
| China | 30,989 | 20,074 | -10,915 |
| India | 23,886 | 12,676 | -11,210 |
| XI | 27,641 | 4,087 | -23,554 |
| Spain | 13,220 | 11,439 | -1,781 |
| Turkey | 20,357 | 546 | -19,811 |
| Panama | 3,338 | 4,663 | +1,325 |
| United States | 2,294 | 2,298 | +4 |
| Italy | 1,871 | 1,299 | -572 |
| Nicaragua | 0 | 327 | +327 |
Export volume by transport
What this shows: Export value by transport mode used to ship goods from the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Air transport | 140,958,752 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 71,366,284 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 21,161,842 |
| Other | 289,814 |
| Road transport | 1,130 |
Export transport rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Transport modes are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month export value, right side by second 12-month export value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Transport | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air transport | 69,272,222 | 71,686,530 | +2,414,308 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 39,484,656 | 31,881,628 | -7,603,028 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 10,268,776 | 10,893,066 | +624,290 |
| Other | 177,500 | 112,314 | -65,186 |
| Road transport | 1,130 | 0 | -1,130 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 96,235,224 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 45,773,335 |
| London Stansted Airport | 17,305,936 |
| Dover | 13,478,724 |
| East Midlands Airport | 12,599,816 |
Export port rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Ports are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month export value, right side by second 12-month export value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Port | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 43,421,933 | 52,813,291 | +9,391,358 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 23,968,565 | 21,804,770 | -2,163,795 |
| London Stansted Airport | 11,165,723 | 6,140,213 | -5,025,510 |
| Dover | 8,811,610 | 4,667,114 | -4,144,496 |
| East Midlands Airport | 7,336,464 | 5,263,352 | -2,073,112 |
| Immingham Docks | 5,407,503 | 4,549,327 | -858,176 |
| ZLC | 4,067,052 | 5,034,626 | +967,574 |
| London Gateway Port | 3,313,251 | 4,724,573 | +1,411,322 |
| London | 3,434,494 | 2,542,696 | -891,798 |
| Manchester Airport | 2,540,647 | 1,717,165 | -823,482 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
- 5201 – Raw cotton
- 5202 – Cotton waste
- 5203 – Carded or combed cotton
- 5204 – Cotton sewing thread
- 5205 – Cotton yarn (85%+ cotton)
- 5206 – Cotton yarn (not sewing thread), less than 85% cotton, not for retail sale
- 5207 – Cotton yarn for retail sale
- 5208 – Lightweight woven cotton fabrics
- 5209 – Heavy cotton woven fabrics
- 5210 – Light cotton woven fabrics
- 5211 – Cotton fabrics mixed with man-made fibers
- 5212 – Various cotton woven fabrics
Quick facts
HS code: 52
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: All types of cotton, including raw cotton, cotton fibers, and cotton-based materials