Import/export HS code 5208: Lightweight woven cotton fabrics
Woven fabrics made mostly of cotton (85% or more), lightweight (under 200 g/m²). Perfect for clothing and linens
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 | 53,402,906 |
| Italy | 19,825,557 |
| Pakistan | 18,512,683 |
| Netherlands | 13,107,227 |
| China | 11,817,957 |
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 | 25,764,553 | 27,638,353 | +1,873,800 |
| Italy | 10,794,586 | 9,030,971 | -1,763,615 |
| Pakistan | 9,931,032 | 8,581,651 | -1,349,381 |
| Netherlands | 6,641,719 | 6,465,508 | -176,211 |
| China | 6,967,482 | 4,850,475 | -2,117,007 |
| India | 5,576,343 | 4,523,726 | -1,052,617 |
| Turkey | 3,166,042 | 2,387,636 | -778,406 |
| South Korea | 3,071,269 | 2,019,639 | -1,051,630 |
| Germany | 1,328,336 | 1,061,084 | -267,252 |
| France | 1,542,544 | 668,495 | -874,049 |
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 | 54,091,742 |
| Pakistan | 19,428,513 |
| Italy | 16,572,004 |
| China | 12,720,464 |
| India | 11,167,037 |
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 | 26,504,361 | 27,587,381 | +1,083,020 |
| Pakistan | 10,518,781 | 8,909,732 | -1,609,049 |
| Italy | 8,581,584 | 7,990,420 | -591,164 |
| China | 7,310,597 | 5,409,867 | -1,900,730 |
| India | 6,294,300 | 4,872,737 | -1,421,563 |
| Netherlands | 5,076,807 | 5,783,161 | +706,354 |
| South Korea | 4,798,309 | 3,272,661 | -1,525,648 |
| Turkey | 3,235,838 | 2,392,186 | -843,652 |
| United Kingdom | 1,975,088 | 623,831 | -1,351,257 |
| Germany | 1,477,629 | 939,426 | -538,203 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 112 |
| Inner London - East | 51 |
| Greater Manchester | 31 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 30 |
| West Yorkshire | 26 |
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 | 81 | 77 | -4 |
| Inner London - East | 35 | 35 | +0 |
| Greater Manchester | 24 | 23 | -1 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 21 | 22 | +1 |
| West Yorkshire | 24 | 16 | -8 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 18 | 9 | -9 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 13 | 13 | +0 |
| West Midlands | 16 | 10 | -6 |
| Lancashire | 15 | 14 | -1 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 15 | 12 | -3 |
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) | 62,884,015 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 62,387,798 |
| Air transport | 30,133,207 |
| Road transport | 1,215,680 |
| Other | 394,999 |
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) | 33,383,726 | 29,500,289 | -3,883,437 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 31,996,125 | 30,391,673 | -1,604,452 |
| Air transport | 16,431,607 | 13,701,600 | -2,730,007 |
| Road transport | 605,830 | 609,850 | +4,020 |
| Other | 224,225 | 170,774 | -53,451 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London | 35,738,846 |
| Southampton | 18,982,979 |
| Felixstowe | 17,579,021 |
| Thamesport | 16,096,731 |
| Dover | 15,129,142 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | 18,827,854 | 16,910,992 | -1,916,862 |
| Southampton | 10,875,511 | 8,107,468 | -2,768,043 |
| Felixstowe | 11,000,862 | 6,578,159 | -4,422,703 |
| Thamesport | 7,146,168 | 8,950,563 | +1,804,395 |
| Dover | 6,946,228 | 8,182,914 | +1,236,686 |
| Birmingham Airport | 3,893,905 | 8,035,608 | +4,141,703 |
| East Midlands Airport | 5,723,852 | 1,665,960 | -4,057,892 |
| London Gateway Port | 2,534,229 | 4,489,782 | +1,955,553 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 3,619,383 | 2,046,541 | -1,572,842 |
| Eurotunnel | 2,133,869 | 2,983,982 | +850,113 |
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 | 181 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 173 |
| Manufacture of textiles | 58 |
| Manufacture of wearing apparel | 54 |
| Other manufacturing | 24 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 104 |
| 2025-11 | 116 |
| 2025-10 | 117 |
| 2025-09 | 108 |
| 2025-08 | 100 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| PREMIER TEXTILES LIMITED | 118 |
| HANTEX LIMITED | 117 |
| J.BARBOUR & SONS,LIMITED | 113 |
| EUROPEAN QUILTING SUPPLIES LIMITED | 112 |
| SIR JACOB BEHRENS & SONS,LIMITED | 111 |
| M.& N.TEXTILES LIMITED | 110 |
| WHALEYS(BRADFORD)LIMITED | 106 |
| LIBERTY RETAIL LIMITED | 103 |
| PAUL SMITH LIMITED | 101 |
| EMMA WILLIS LIMITED | 99 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 231 |
| 0-1m | 142 |
| 54m+ | 68 |
| 15m-54m | 47 |
| Other | 36 |
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 | 66,871,032 |
| Senegal | 7,885,220 |
| Italy | 4,901,367 |
| United Arab Emirates | 4,842,562 |
| United States | 3,579,529 |
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 | 33,814,897 | 33,056,135 | -758,762 |
| Senegal | 3,935,766 | 3,949,454 | +13,688 |
| Italy | 2,933,196 | 1,968,171 | -965,025 |
| United Arab Emirates | 2,195,061 | 2,647,501 | +452,440 |
| United States | 2,016,725 | 1,562,804 | -453,921 |
| Romania | 900,980 | 1,661,924 | +760,944 |
| Netherlands | 1,213,761 | 1,196,943 | -16,818 |
| Oman | 1,741,000 | 613,648 | -1,127,352 |
| Turkey | 2,185,060 | 129,224 | -2,055,836 |
| Moldova | 898,364 | 875,209 | -23,155 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| XI | 27,328 |
| China | 25,694 |
| India | 3,240 |
| Ireland | 310 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| XI | 14,334 | 12,994 | -1,340 |
| China | 14,795 | 10,899 | -3,896 |
| India | 1,993 | 1,247 | -746 |
| Ireland | 216 | 94 | -122 |
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 | 84,064,334 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 18,190,402 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 11,478,533 |
| Other | 69,935 |
| Road transport | 14,182 |
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 | 42,881,429 | 41,182,905 | -1,698,524 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 10,904,012 | 7,286,390 | -3,617,622 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 5,723,010 | 5,755,523 | +32,513 |
| Other | 38,408 | 31,527 | -6,881 |
| Road transport | 14,182 | 0 | -14,182 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 77,115,215 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 13,981,426 |
| London | 6,140,223 |
| East Midlands Airport | 3,017,303 |
| Dover | 2,989,307 |
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 | 39,548,178 | 37,567,037 | -1,981,141 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 8,739,301 | 5,242,125 | -3,497,176 |
| London | 2,759,150 | 3,381,073 | +621,923 |
| East Midlands Airport | 1,615,814 | 1,401,489 | -214,325 |
| Dover | 1,562,442 | 1,426,865 | -135,577 |
| London Gateway Port | 1,247,238 | 1,245,287 | -1,951 |
| Manchester Airport | 285,171 | 960,959 | +675,788 |
| ZLC | 663,565 | 496,098 | -167,467 |
| Southampton | 320,577 | 535,237 | +214,660 |
| London Stansted Airport | 322,316 | 483,080 | +160,764 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
- 520811 – Light plain weave cotton fabrics
- 520812 – Plain weave cotton fabrics (100-200 g/m²)
- 520813 – Twill weave cotton fabrics
- 520819 – Various cotton fabrics
- 520821 – Light plain weave cotton fabrics (bleached)
- 520822 – Plain weave cotton fabrics (100-200 g/m², bleached)
- 520823 – Bleached twill weave cotton fabrics
- 520829 – Various bleached cotton fabrics
- 520831 – Plain weave cotton fabrics (dyed)
- 520832 – Plain weave cotton fabrics (100-200 g/m², dyed)
- 520833 – Dyed twill weave cotton fabrics
- 520839 – Various dyed cotton fabrics
- 520841 – Plain weave cotton fabrics (printed)
- 520842 – Plain weave cotton fabrics (100-200 g/m², printed)
- 520843 – Printed twill weave cotton fabrics
- 520849 – Various printed cotton fabrics
- 520851 – Plain weave cotton fabrics (yarn-dyed)
- 520852 – Plain weave cotton fabrics (100-200 g/m², yarn-dyed)
- 520859 – Various yarn-dyed cotton fabrics
Quick facts
HS code: 5208
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Woven fabrics made mostly of cotton (85% or more), lightweight (under 200 g/m²). Perfect for clothing and linens