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 | 66,199,782 |
| Italy | 62,624,315 |
| Pakistan | 56,158,771 |
| India | 32,410,758 |
| China | 23,800,801 |
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 | 27,268,949 | 38,930,833 | +11,661,884 |
| Italy | 32,032,571 | 30,591,744 | -1,440,827 |
| Pakistan | 29,477,838 | 26,680,933 | -2,796,905 |
| India | 16,863,540 | 15,547,218 | -1,316,322 |
| China | 13,929,345 | 9,871,456 | -4,057,889 |
| Turkey | 10,284,443 | 9,751,227 | -533,216 |
| Netherlands | 8,641,680 | 10,358,843 | +1,717,163 |
| Germany | 8,416,024 | 8,613,656 | +197,632 |
| Spain | 7,553,522 | 7,870,997 | +317,475 |
| France | 6,314,568 | 6,902,631 | +588,063 |
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 | 66,916,671 |
| Pakistan | 58,933,983 |
| Italy | 48,785,008 |
| India | 41,559,437 |
| China | 28,204,650 |
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 | 27,778,787 | 39,137,884 | +11,359,097 |
| Pakistan | 31,197,513 | 27,736,470 | -3,461,043 |
| Italy | 23,989,261 | 24,795,747 | +806,486 |
| India | 21,596,655 | 19,962,782 | -1,633,873 |
| China | 15,658,510 | 12,546,140 | -3,112,370 |
| Turkey | 12,156,464 | 11,612,211 | -544,253 |
| Spain | 7,885,692 | 8,180,734 | +295,042 |
| Egypt | 6,366,257 | 8,469,779 | +2,103,522 |
| Netherlands | 5,658,669 | 8,645,450 | +2,986,781 |
| Germany | 7,401,025 | 6,692,335 | -708,690 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 255 |
| Greater Manchester | 114 |
| Inner London - East | 93 |
| West Yorkshire | 91 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 79 |
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 | 192 | 160 | -32 |
| Greater Manchester | 81 | 75 | -6 |
| Inner London - East | 75 | 54 | -21 |
| West Yorkshire | 73 | 60 | -13 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 51 | 53 | +2 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 47 | 35 | -12 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 42 | 38 | -4 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 44 | 33 | -11 |
| West Midlands | 37 | 30 | -7 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 37 | 30 | -7 |
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) | 160,193,956 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 150,466,839 |
| Air transport | 56,297,808 |
| Other | 4,928,620 |
| Road transport | 4,738,495 |
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) | 82,108,553 | 78,085,403 | -4,023,150 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 70,114,630 | 80,352,209 | +10,237,579 |
| Air transport | 28,725,154 | 27,572,654 | -1,152,500 |
| Other | 3,652,344 | 1,276,276 | -2,376,068 |
| Road transport | 1,944,441 | 2,794,054 | +849,613 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Southampton | 53,598,189 |
| London | 48,247,437 |
| Dover | 40,670,710 |
| Felixstowe | 36,853,855 |
| Thamesport | 30,719,304 |
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 | 30,472,265 | 23,125,924 | -7,346,341 |
| London | 21,405,056 | 26,842,381 | +5,437,325 |
| Dover | 18,752,366 | 21,918,344 | +3,165,978 |
| Felixstowe | 22,273,134 | 14,580,721 | -7,692,413 |
| Thamesport | 14,066,451 | 16,652,853 | +2,586,402 |
| Eurotunnel | 12,641,025 | 15,520,005 | +2,878,980 |
| London Gateway Port | 7,569,871 | 13,898,259 | +6,328,388 |
| Birmingham Airport | 7,877,747 | 11,447,888 | +3,570,141 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 7,410,735 | 6,250,819 | -1,159,916 |
| East Midlands Airport | 8,216,700 | 4,589,892 | -3,626,808 |
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 | 472 |
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 460 |
| Manufacture of textiles | 160 |
| Manufacture of wearing apparel | 103 |
| Other manufacturing | 73 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-04 | 277 |
| 2026-03 | 285 |
| 2026-02 | 263 |
| 2026-01 | 251 |
| 2025-12 | 228 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| ROMO LIMITED | 124 |
| ROBERT SCOTT & SONS LIMITED | 124 |
| COLEFAX GROUP PLC | 124 |
| SANDERSON DESIGN GROUP PLC | 123 |
| JOHN COTTON GROUP LIMITED | 123 |
| ASHLEY WILDE GROUP LIMITED | 123 |
| DESIGNERS GUILD LIMITED | 123 |
| PREMIER TEXTILES LIMITED | 123 |
| PRESTIGIOUS TEXTILES LIMITED | 123 |
| FRYETT'S FABRICS LIMITED | 123 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 664 |
| 0-1m | 359 |
| 54m+ | 243 |
| 15m-54m | 151 |
| Other | 90 |
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 | 82,216,411 |
| United States | 22,507,494 |
| France | 22,292,132 |
| Netherlands | 14,265,969 |
| Germany | 12,152,606 |
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 | 34,993,906 | 47,222,505 | +12,228,599 |
| United States | 11,457,067 | 11,050,427 | -406,640 |
| France | 11,606,961 | 10,685,171 | -921,790 |
| Netherlands | 7,455,151 | 6,810,818 | -644,333 |
| Germany | 5,953,375 | 6,199,231 | +245,856 |
| Italy | 4,914,669 | 6,708,887 | +1,794,218 |
| Senegal | 4,051,964 | 5,228,826 | +1,176,862 |
| United Arab Emirates | 3,218,593 | 3,910,057 | +691,464 |
| Morocco | 2,786,509 | 2,777,247 | -9,262 |
| Romania | 1,469,253 | 2,410,728 | +941,475 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Turkey | 142,157 |
| Portugal | 61,140 |
| China | 54,517 |
| India | 43,854 |
| XI | 34,773 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 141,427 | 730 | -140,697 |
| Portugal | 0 | 61,140 | +61,140 |
| China | 28,649 | 25,868 | -2,781 |
| India | 23,867 | 19,987 | -3,880 |
| XI | 21,019 | 13,754 | -7,265 |
| Spain | 15,713 | 12,546 | -3,167 |
| Panama | 3,659 | 5,321 | +1,662 |
| United States | 2,164 | 2,599 | +435 |
| Italy | 1,829 | 1,536 | -293 |
| Ireland | 232 | 133 | -99 |
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 | 149,830,766 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 78,756,901 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 24,265,350 |
| Other | 449,858 |
| Road transport | 105,965 |
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 | 68,838,119 | 80,992,647 | +12,154,528 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 39,738,807 | 39,018,094 | -720,713 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 11,581,513 | 12,683,837 | +1,102,324 |
| Other | 288,458 | 161,400 | -127,058 |
| Road transport | 105,965 | 0 | -105,965 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 100,992,213 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 51,645,307 |
| London Stansted Airport | 18,000,679 |
| East Midlands Airport | 14,991,098 |
| Dover | 14,141,836 |
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 | 43,457,257 | 57,534,956 | +14,077,699 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 26,158,279 | 25,487,028 | -671,251 |
| London Stansted Airport | 9,516,660 | 8,484,019 | -1,032,641 |
| East Midlands Airport | 8,426,237 | 6,564,861 | -1,861,376 |
| Dover | 7,479,771 | 6,662,065 | -817,706 |
| Immingham Docks | 5,055,400 | 5,833,588 | +778,188 |
| ZLC | 5,077,440 | 4,906,020 | -171,420 |
| London Gateway Port | 3,501,105 | 5,481,785 | +1,980,680 |
| London | 3,366,869 | 3,430,460 | +63,591 |
| Manchester Airport | 1,715,860 | 2,650,021 | +934,161 |
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