Import/export HS code 55: Man-made staple fibers
Fibers made by humans, not natural, used in textiles and fabrics
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Turkey | 78,544,121 |
| China | 63,114,370 |
| Germany | 60,330,740 |
| Italy | 32,467,367 |
| Indonesia | 32,075,652 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 44,907,094 | 33,637,027 | -11,270,067 |
| China | 36,004,030 | 27,110,340 | -8,893,690 |
| Germany | 34,121,014 | 26,209,726 | -7,911,288 |
| Italy | 18,512,624 | 13,954,743 | -4,557,881 |
| Indonesia | 18,655,369 | 13,420,283 | -5,235,086 |
| South Korea | 20,396,457 | 10,491,773 | -9,904,684 |
| Viet Nam | 16,032,087 | 13,351,250 | -2,680,837 |
| India | 14,748,348 | 12,986,841 | -1,761,507 |
| Japan | 13,301,596 | 12,053,494 | -1,248,102 |
| Belgium | 13,497,967 | 11,461,202 | -2,036,765 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Turkey | 82,264,115 |
| China | 64,840,414 |
| Germany | 56,360,647 |
| Indonesia | 35,252,705 |
| South Korea | 32,970,955 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 46,826,173 | 35,437,942 | -11,388,231 |
| China | 35,900,773 | 28,939,641 | -6,961,132 |
| Germany | 32,200,156 | 24,160,491 | -8,039,665 |
| Indonesia | 20,925,869 | 14,326,836 | -6,599,033 |
| South Korea | 21,916,877 | 11,054,078 | -10,862,799 |
| Italy | 17,844,324 | 14,640,489 | -3,203,835 |
| India | 16,680,131 | 14,781,212 | -1,898,919 |
| Viet Nam | 16,713,028 | 14,366,393 | -2,346,635 |
| Japan | 13,518,808 | 12,273,009 | -1,245,799 |
| United States | 12,097,699 | 9,805,439 | -2,292,260 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 201 |
| West Yorkshire | 123 |
| Greater Manchester | 105 |
| Inner London - East | 77 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 61 |
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 | 153 | 132 | -21 |
| West Yorkshire | 109 | 102 | -7 |
| Greater Manchester | 85 | 74 | -11 |
| Inner London - East | 52 | 53 | +1 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 49 | 32 | -17 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 47 | 38 | -9 |
| Lancashire | 44 | 42 | -2 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 35 | 35 | +0 |
| West Midlands | 37 | 34 | -3 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 32 | 34 | +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) | 349,994,418 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 168,715,212 |
| Air transport | 29,897,779 |
| Other | 13,639,100 |
| Road transport | 4,675,211 |
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) | 198,628,540 | 151,365,878 | -47,262,662 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 96,603,034 | 72,112,178 | -24,490,856 |
| Air transport | 15,950,678 | 13,947,101 | -2,003,577 |
| Other | 12,618,886 | 1,020,214 | -11,598,672 |
| Road transport | 1,959,278 | 2,715,933 | +756,655 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Felixstowe | 125,622,079 |
| Dover | 81,877,873 |
| Southampton | 79,487,511 |
| Liverpool Docks | 51,985,325 |
| London Gateway Port | 47,945,225 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Felixstowe | 80,536,631 | 45,085,448 | -35,451,183 |
| Dover | 46,581,041 | 35,296,832 | -11,284,209 |
| Southampton | 48,787,987 | 30,699,524 | -18,088,463 |
| Liverpool Docks | 28,015,071 | 23,970,254 | -4,044,817 |
| London Gateway Port | 19,686,551 | 28,258,674 | +8,572,123 |
| Eurotunnel | 12,540,690 | 8,833,363 | -3,707,327 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 8,624,364 | 7,798,490 | -825,874 |
| Immingham Docks | 7,589,276 | 6,680,126 | -909,150 |
| ZLC | 7,017,845 | 7,247,212 | +229,367 |
| 000 | 12,616,147 | 1,010,095 | -11,606,052 |
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
|
378 |
|
Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles
|
273 |
|
Manufacture of textiles
|
218 |
|
Manufacture of wearing apparel
|
88 |
|
Other manufacturing
|
79 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-05 | 286 |
| 2026-04 | 309 |
| 2026-03 | 344 |
| 2026-02 | 330 |
| 2026-01 | 322 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| JOHN COTTON GROUP LIMITED | 125 |
| ROMO LIMITED | 125 |
| A.MARTIN BUNZL LIMITED | 125 |
| SANDERSON DESIGN GROUP PLC | 124 |
| SPECTRUM YARNS LIMITED | 124 |
| COLEFAX GROUP PLC | 124 |
| PRESTIGIOUS TEXTILES LIMITED | 124 |
| WARWICK FABRICS (UK) LIMITED | 124 |
| SMD (HOLDINGS) 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 | 644 |
| 0-1m | 272 |
| 54m+ | 224 |
| 15m-54m | 137 |
| Other | 76 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Germany | 25,495,103 |
| United States | 20,460,566 |
| Morocco | 11,903,512 |
| France | 11,175,794 |
| Italy | 10,024,684 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 11,075,939 | 14,419,164 | +3,343,225 |
| United States | 11,173,537 | 9,287,029 | -1,886,508 |
| Morocco | 7,186,243 | 4,717,269 | -2,468,974 |
| France | 6,836,948 | 4,338,846 | -2,498,102 |
| Italy | 6,004,220 | 4,020,464 | -1,983,756 |
| Tunisia | 5,709,889 | 3,537,696 | -2,172,193 |
| Cambodia | 3,750,181 | 5,313,642 | +1,563,461 |
| Ireland | 4,500,754 | 3,805,954 | -694,800 |
| China | 4,205,691 | 4,073,632 | -132,059 |
| Turkey | 5,248,143 | 2,401,533 | -2,846,610 |
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 | 134,853 |
| Turkey | 117,440 |
| XI | 53,173 |
| Netherlands | 34,771 |
| United States | 32,007 |
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 | 28,654 | 106,199 | +77,545 |
| Turkey | 117,390 | 50 | -117,340 |
| XI | 37,528 | 15,645 | -21,883 |
| Netherlands | 12,093 | 22,678 | +10,585 |
| United States | 0 | 32,007 | +32,007 |
| India | 13,159 | 14,122 | +963 |
| Panama | 12,930 | 9,502 | -3,428 |
| Belgium | 9,520 | 12,408 | +2,888 |
| Switzerland | 11,018 | 7,547 | -3,471 |
| Spain | 12,952 | 0 | -12,952 |
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) | 115,127,941 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 53,576,857 |
| Air transport | 33,858,357 |
| Other | 520,964 |
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) | 63,631,164 | 51,496,777 | -12,134,387 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 30,520,707 | 23,056,150 | -7,464,557 |
| Air transport | 16,664,461 | 17,193,896 | +529,435 |
| Other | 280,835 | 240,129 | -40,706 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 71,662,119 |
| Immingham Docks | 20,084,829 |
| Southampton | 19,209,203 |
| London Gateway Port | 14,756,360 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 13,814,002 |
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 | 41,165,121 | 30,496,998 | -10,668,123 |
| Immingham Docks | 8,657,386 | 11,427,443 | +2,770,057 |
| Southampton | 9,546,082 | 9,663,121 | +117,039 |
| London Gateway Port | 8,509,224 | 6,247,136 | -2,262,088 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 5,754,592 | 8,059,410 | +2,304,818 |
| Felixstowe | 6,544,306 | 3,452,096 | -3,092,210 |
| Dover | 5,690,581 | 3,755,732 | -1,934,849 |
| East Midlands Airport | 4,189,914 | 2,704,680 | -1,485,234 |
| London Stansted Airport | 3,376,599 | 2,700,419 | -676,180 |
| Liverpool Docks | 3,122,906 | 1,790,070 | -1,332,836 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
- 5501 – Synthetic filament tow
- 5502 – Artificial fiber bundles
- 5503 – Synthetic fiber strands, unprocessed
- 5504 – Artificial staple fibers, not processed for spinning
- 5505 – Waste of man-made fibers
- 5506 – Synthetic fibers ready for spinning
- 5507 – Artificial fibers ready for spinning
- 5508 – Sewing thread made from man-made fibers
- 5509 – Yarn made from synthetic fibers
- 5510 – Yarn made from artificial fibers, not for retail sale
- 5511 – Yarn made from man-made fibers, for retail sale
- 5512 – Woven fabrics made mostly of synthetic fibers
- 5513 – Lightweight synthetic-cotton fabrics
- 5514 – Woven fabrics made of synthetic fibers mixed with cotton
- 5515 – Woven fabrics made of synthetic fibers
- 5516 – Woven fabrics made from artificial fibers
Quick facts
HS code: 55
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Fibers made by humans, not natural, used in textiles and fabrics