Import/export HS code 5204: Cotton sewing thread
All types of cotton sewing thread, sold in bulk or packaged for retail
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| China | 1,418,126 |
| Germany | 403,317 |
| India | 263,163 |
| Italy | 161,166 |
| Ireland | 95,699 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 850,890 | 567,236 | -283,654 |
| Germany | 183,355 | 219,962 | +36,607 |
| India | 125,696 | 137,467 | +11,771 |
| Italy | 86,862 | 74,304 | -12,558 |
| Ireland | 42,273 | 53,426 | +11,153 |
| United States | 46,798 | 48,622 | +1,824 |
| United Arab Emirates | 1,065 | 71,057 | +69,992 |
| Peru | 68,704 | 0 | -68,704 |
| Netherlands | 35,882 | 28,998 | -6,884 |
| Pakistan | 14,316 | 49,631 | +35,315 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| China | 1,447,779 |
| India | 274,236 |
| Turkey | 203,202 |
| Italy | 186,103 |
| Greece | 159,788 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 866,701 | 581,078 | -285,623 |
| India | 125,696 | 148,540 | +22,844 |
| Turkey | 6,773 | 196,429 | +189,656 |
| Italy | 112,441 | 73,662 | -38,779 |
| Greece | 138,194 | 21,594 | -116,600 |
| United States | 40,423 | 43,891 | +3,468 |
| United Arab Emirates | 1,065 | 71,057 | +69,992 |
| Peru | 68,704 | 0 | -68,704 |
| Pakistan | 18,523 | 49,631 | +31,108 |
| Netherlands | 25,067 | 17,223 | -7,844 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester | 8 |
| Inner London - West | 8 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 8 |
| West Midlands | 8 |
| Inner London - East | 7 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Manchester | 5 | 5 | +0 |
| Inner London - West | 6 | 3 | -3 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 6 | 5 | -1 |
| West Midlands | 2 | 8 | +6 |
| Inner London - East | 7 | 3 | -4 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 4 | 4 | +0 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 4 | 2 | -2 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 3 | 3 | +0 |
| West Yorkshire | 4 | 4 | +0 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 4 | 2 | -2 |
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) | 1,454,778 |
| Air transport | 889,384 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 437,752 |
| Other | 176,251 |
| Road transport | 3,938 |
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) | 819,257 | 635,521 | -183,736 |
| Air transport | 449,694 | 439,690 | -10,004 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 209,868 | 227,884 | +18,016 |
| Other | 122,036 | 54,215 | -67,821 |
| Road transport | 3,938 | 0 | -3,938 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Birmingham Airport | 376,640 |
| Southampton | 369,054 |
| Felixstowe | 368,259 |
| Liverpool Docks | 336,545 |
| Dover | 319,464 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham Airport | 175,597 | 201,043 | +25,446 |
| Southampton | 277,346 | 91,708 | -185,638 |
| Felixstowe | 174,968 | 193,291 | +18,323 |
| Liverpool Docks | 117,389 | 219,156 | +101,767 |
| Dover | 139,885 | 179,579 | +39,694 |
| London Gateway Port | 160,802 | 42,123 | -118,679 |
| 000 | 122,036 | 54,215 | -67,821 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 93,314 | 64,659 | -28,655 |
| Thamesport | 80,102 | 22,912 | -57,190 |
| East Midlands Airport | 55,857 | 37,968 | -17,889 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 41 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 37 |
| Manufacture of textiles | 8 |
| Other manufacturing | 5 |
| Manufacture of wearing apparel | 4 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 12 |
| 2025-11 | 12 |
| 2025-10 | 21 |
| 2025-09 | 10 |
| 2025-08 | 10 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| GROVES OF THAME LIMITED | 73 |
| KORBOND INDUSTRIES LIMITED | 57 |
| HABICO LIMITED | 45 |
| WOOL AND THE GANG LTD | 41 |
| TINYYO LIMITED | 36 |
| HACHETTE PARTWORKS LIMITED | 35 |
| OVERSEAS TRADING LIMITED | 31 |
| EUROPEAN QUILTING SUPPLIES LIMITED | 29 |
| THE WORKS STORES LIMITED | 27 |
| POUNDLAND LIMITED | 26 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 44 |
| 0-1m | 24 |
| 15m-54m | 13 |
| 54m+ | 13 |
| Other | 7 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Morocco | 262,564 |
| United Arab Emirates | 197,557 |
| Italy | 94,890 |
| United States | 75,980 |
| Ireland | 60,784 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco | 260,964 | 1,600 | -259,364 |
| United Arab Emirates | 14,282 | 183,275 | +168,993 |
| Italy | 56,796 | 38,094 | -18,702 |
| United States | 55,342 | 20,638 | -34,704 |
| Ireland | 21,969 | 38,815 | +16,846 |
| France | 31,043 | 25,378 | -5,665 |
| Germany | 26,130 | 5,392 | -20,738 |
| North Macedonia | 0 | 23,925 | +23,925 |
| Poland | 13,051 | 10,338 | -2,713 |
| China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | 19,934 | 3,369 | -16,565 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| China | 10,971 |
| XI | 4,704 |
| Nicaragua | 157 |
| India | 94 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 2,694 | 8,277 | +5,583 |
| XI | 4,470 | 234 | -4,236 |
| Nicaragua | 0 | 157 | +157 |
| India | 94 | 0 | -94 |
Export volume by transport
What this shows: Export value by transport mode used to ship goods from the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 528,152 |
| Air transport | 294,292 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 170,536 |
| Other | 16,281 |
| Road transport | 14,211 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 389,489 | 138,663 | -250,826 |
| Air transport | 175,048 | 119,244 | -55,804 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 8,987 | 161,549 | +152,562 |
| Other | 7,419 | 8,862 | +1,443 |
| Road transport | 14,211 | 0 | -14,211 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 346,648 |
| London Gateway Port | 145,486 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 138,563 |
| Dover | 87,201 |
| East Midlands Airport | 83,181 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 280,003 | 66,645 | -213,358 |
| London Gateway Port | 0 | 145,486 | +145,486 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 79,045 | 59,518 | -19,527 |
| Dover | 40,966 | 46,235 | +5,269 |
| East Midlands Airport | 48,463 | 34,718 | -13,745 |
| Portsmouth | 62,695 | 1,600 | -61,095 |
| ZLC | 40,567 | 6,772 | -33,795 |
| London Stansted Airport | 17,809 | 9,036 | -8,773 |
| 000 | 7,419 | 8,862 | +1,443 |
| Holyhead | 8,741 | 5,829 | -2,912 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
Quick facts
HS code: 5204
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: All types of cotton sewing thread, sold in bulk or packaged for retail