Import/export HS code 5206: Cotton yarn (not sewing thread), less than 85% cotton, not for retail sale
Cotton yarn used for weaving or knitting, not sold in small packages for individual use. Contains less than 85% cotton by weight
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Spain | 4,190,307 |
| Pakistan | 3,206,513 |
| Italy | 2,784,021 |
| Turkey | 1,055,710 |
| Belgium | 106,841 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2,378,009 | 1,812,298 | -565,711 |
| Pakistan | 1,743,526 | 1,462,987 | -280,539 |
| Italy | 1,681,045 | 1,102,976 | -578,069 |
| Turkey | 697,879 | 357,831 | -340,048 |
| Belgium | 74,470 | 32,371 | -42,099 |
| Poland | 46,638 | 38,927 | -7,711 |
| France | 8,266 | 51,896 | +43,630 |
| China | 14,150 | 40,347 | +26,197 |
| Indonesia | 25,405 | 22,912 | -2,493 |
| India | 41,008 | 3,400 | -37,608 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Spain | 4,306,192 |
| Pakistan | 3,226,918 |
| Italy | 2,753,411 |
| Turkey | 1,098,007 |
| Belgium | 84,350 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2,427,923 | 1,878,269 | -549,654 |
| Pakistan | 1,753,793 | 1,473,125 | -280,668 |
| Italy | 1,657,143 | 1,096,268 | -560,875 |
| Turkey | 713,025 | 384,982 | -328,043 |
| Belgium | 76,148 | 8,202 | -67,946 |
| Indonesia | 35,804 | 22,912 | -12,892 |
| China | 15,018 | 42,137 | +27,119 |
| Poland | 31,606 | 16,650 | -14,956 |
| India | 41,008 | 5,233 | -35,775 |
| Taiwan | 8,428 | 0 | -8,428 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester | 6 |
| Lancashire | 6 |
| West Yorkshire | 6 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 3 |
| Cheshire | 2 |
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 | 6 | 3 | -3 |
| Lancashire | 5 | 4 | -1 |
| West Yorkshire | 4 | 6 | +2 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 0 | 3 | +3 |
| Cheshire | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Inner London - East | 2 | 0 | -2 |
| Cumbria | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| East Central Scotland | 0 | 1 | +1 |
| Essex | 1 | 1 | +0 |
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) | 7,638,557 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 3,629,903 |
| Air transport | 401,238 |
| Road transport | 31,614 |
| Other | 666 |
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) | 4,080,423 | 3,558,134 | -522,289 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 2,328,630 | 1,301,273 | -1,027,357 |
| Air transport | 333,850 | 67,388 | -266,462 |
| Road transport | 24,436 | 7,178 | -17,258 |
| Other | 21 | 645 | +624 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover | 2,589,335 |
| Southampton | 2,477,609 |
| Liverpool Docks | 1,470,557 |
| Immingham Docks | 1,104,411 |
| Felixstowe | 1,097,637 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | 1,486,595 | 1,102,740 | -383,855 |
| Southampton | 1,413,662 | 1,063,947 | -349,715 |
| Liverpool Docks | 847,595 | 622,962 | -224,633 |
| Immingham Docks | 970,771 | 133,640 | -837,131 |
| Felixstowe | 751,732 | 345,905 | -405,827 |
| Killingholme | 16,988 | 731,282 | +714,294 |
| Eurotunnel | 388,908 | 259,680 | -129,228 |
| London Gateway Port | 168,392 | 447,231 | +278,839 |
| Leeds Bradford Airport | 253,712 | 27,310 | -226,402 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 127,047 | 16,557 | -110,490 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
| Manufacture of textiles | 19 |
| Manufacture of wearing apparel | 5 |
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 5 |
| Other manufacturing | 3 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 3 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 9 |
| 2025-11 | 11 |
| 2025-10 | 8 |
| 2025-09 | 10 |
| 2025-08 | 7 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 20 |
| 0-1m | 9 |
| 15m-54m | 4 |
| 54m+ | 2 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Belgium | 367,503 |
| Italy | 14,237 |
| Spain | 4,503 |
| United States | 4,459 |
| Ireland | 4,277 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 354,993 | 12,510 | -342,483 |
| Italy | 14,237 | 0 | -14,237 |
| Spain | 1,053 | 3,450 | +2,397 |
| United States | 4,459 | 0 | -4,459 |
| Ireland | 1,555 | 2,722 | +1,167 |
| United Arab Emirates | 0 | 1,616 | +1,616 |
| Switzerland | 1,000 | 0 | -1,000 |
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 | 2,722 |
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 | 0 | 2,722 | +2,722 |
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) | 369,058 |
| Air transport | 19,696 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 6,119 |
| Other | 2,722 |
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) | 356,548 | 12,510 | -344,038 |
| Air transport | 19,696 | 0 | -19,696 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,053 | 5,066 | +4,013 |
| Other | 0 | 2,722 | +2,722 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 367,503 |
| East Midlands Airport | 19,696 |
| Liverpool Docks | 6,058 |
| 000 | 2,722 |
| London Gateway Port | 1,616 |
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 | 354,993 | 12,510 | -342,483 |
| East Midlands Airport | 19,696 | 0 | -19,696 |
| Liverpool Docks | 2,608 | 3,450 | +842 |
| 000 | 0 | 2,722 | +2,722 |
| London Gateway Port | 0 | 1,616 | +1,616 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
- 520611 – Thick cotton yarn, not for retail sale
- 520612 – Medium-thick cotton yarn, not for retail sale
- 520613 – Medium cotton yarn, not for retail sale
- 520614 – Medium-thin cotton yarn, not for retail sale
- 520615 – Thin cotton yarn, not for retail sale
- 520621 – Thick cotton yarn, not for retail sale
- 520622 – Medium-thick cotton yarn, not for retail sale
- 520623 – Medium cotton yarn, not for retail sale
- 520624 – Medium-thin cotton yarn, not for retail sale
- 520625 – Thin cotton yarn, not for retail sale
- 520631 – Thick single cotton yarn, not for retail sale
- 520632 – Medium-thick single cotton yarn, not for retail sale
- 520633 – Medium single cotton yarn, not for retail sale
- 520634 – Medium-thin single cotton yarn, not for retail sale
- 520635 – Thin single cotton yarn, not for retail sale
- 520641 – Thick single cotton yarn, not for retail sale
- 520642 – Medium-thick single cotton yarn, not for retail sale
- 520643 – Medium single cotton yarn, not for retail sale
- 520644 – Medium-thin single cotton yarn, not for retail sale
- 520645 – Thin single cotton yarn, not for retail sale
Quick facts
HS code: 5206
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Cotton yarn used for weaving or knitting, not sold in small packages for individual use. Contains less than 85% cotton by weight