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 | 86,512,070 |
| China | 68,487,794 |
| Germany | 66,486,154 |
| Italy | 36,702,122 |
| Indonesia | 35,571,452 |
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 | 46,117,658 | 40,394,412 | -5,723,246 |
| China | 36,414,529 | 32,073,265 | -4,341,264 |
| Germany | 35,357,313 | 31,128,841 | -4,228,472 |
| Italy | 18,676,395 | 18,025,727 | -650,668 |
| Indonesia | 19,423,231 | 16,148,221 | -3,275,010 |
| South Korea | 21,146,043 | 12,937,559 | -8,208,484 |
| Viet Nam | 15,683,888 | 15,780,279 | +96,391 |
| India | 15,485,695 | 14,843,462 | -642,233 |
| Belgium | 14,275,216 | 13,412,808 | -862,408 |
| France | 12,935,810 | 13,707,206 | +771,396 |
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 | 90,705,930 |
| China | 70,602,193 |
| Germany | 61,654,824 |
| Indonesia | 38,852,796 |
| Italy | 36,574,177 |
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 | 48,203,218 | 42,502,712 | -5,700,506 |
| China | 36,516,006 | 34,086,187 | -2,429,819 |
| Germany | 32,509,349 | 29,145,475 | -3,363,874 |
| Indonesia | 21,532,722 | 17,320,074 | -4,212,648 |
| Italy | 17,993,822 | 18,580,355 | +586,533 |
| South Korea | 22,846,306 | 13,586,166 | -9,260,140 |
| India | 17,276,833 | 16,954,577 | -322,256 |
| Viet Nam | 16,486,939 | 16,824,340 | +337,401 |
| Japan | 11,347,832 | 15,201,451 | +3,853,619 |
| United States | 12,533,530 | 11,908,521 | -625,009 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 217 |
| West Yorkshire | 128 |
| Greater Manchester | 108 |
| Inner London - East | 81 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 66 |
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 | 161 | 144 | -17 |
| West Yorkshire | 112 | 106 | -6 |
| Greater Manchester | 83 | 84 | +1 |
| Inner London - East | 51 | 58 | +7 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 49 | 37 | -12 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 46 | 41 | -5 |
| Lancashire | 45 | 45 | +0 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 40 | 38 | -2 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 38 | 35 | -3 |
| West Midlands | 32 | 38 | +6 |
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) | 381,580,671 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 187,917,926 |
| Air transport | 32,800,559 |
| Other | 15,034,867 |
| Road transport | 5,183,289 |
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) | 199,928,489 | 181,652,182 | -18,276,307 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 100,307,504 | 87,610,422 | -12,697,082 |
| Air transport | 15,815,263 | 16,985,296 | +1,170,033 |
| Other | 12,526,580 | 2,508,287 | -10,018,293 |
| Road transport | 2,320,637 | 2,862,652 | +542,015 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Felixstowe | 145,000,208 |
| Dover | 90,504,600 |
| Southampton | 84,668,502 |
| Liverpool Docks | 56,161,741 |
| London Gateway Port | 50,045,230 |
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 | 91,840,446 | 53,159,762 | -38,680,684 |
| Dover | 46,509,386 | 43,995,214 | -2,514,172 |
| Southampton | 46,194,647 | 38,473,855 | -7,720,792 |
| Liverpool Docks | 27,370,117 | 28,791,624 | +1,421,507 |
| London Gateway Port | 17,163,304 | 32,881,926 | +15,718,622 |
| Eurotunnel | 13,079,409 | 10,722,785 | -2,356,624 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 6,236,544 | 10,474,883 | +4,238,339 |
| Immingham Docks | 8,871,866 | 7,715,444 | -1,156,422 |
| ZLC | 7,595,983 | 7,946,093 | +350,110 |
| 000 | 12,524,508 | 2,497,501 | -10,027,007 |
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 | 393 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 287 |
| Manufacture of textiles | 226 |
| Manufacture of wearing apparel | 90 |
| Other manufacturing | 81 |
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 | 670 |
| 0-1m | 287 |
| 54m+ | 246 |
| 15m-54m | 137 |
| Other | 83 |
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 | 27,190,887 |
| United States | 22,989,441 |
| Morocco | 12,984,390 |
| France | 12,588,523 |
| Italy | 11,149,565 |
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 | 11,458,118 | 15,732,769 | +4,274,651 |
| United States | 11,446,050 | 11,543,391 | +97,341 |
| Morocco | 7,378,314 | 5,606,076 | -1,772,238 |
| France | 7,325,564 | 5,262,959 | -2,062,605 |
| Italy | 6,313,573 | 4,835,992 | -1,477,581 |
| Tunisia | 5,975,476 | 4,119,781 | -1,855,695 |
| Ireland | 4,560,248 | 4,560,248 | +0 |
| Cambodia | 2,892,112 | 6,212,249 | +3,320,137 |
| China | 4,455,435 | 4,459,460 | +4,025 |
| Turkey | 5,757,128 | 2,896,969 | -2,860,159 |
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 | 148,579 |
| Portugal | 134,853 |
| XI | 57,851 |
| 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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 148,529 | 50 | -148,479 |
| Portugal | 0 | 134,853 | +134,853 |
| XI | 33,539 | 24,312 | -9,227 |
| Netherlands | 8,029 | 26,742 | +18,713 |
| United States | 0 | 32,007 | +32,007 |
| India | 16,151 | 15,676 | -475 |
| Panama | 12,336 | 12,326 | -10 |
| Belgium | 7,330 | 15,624 | +8,294 |
| Switzerland | 9,879 | 9,132 | -747 |
| 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) | 127,083,039 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 59,338,573 |
| Air transport | 37,464,183 |
| Other | 567,332 |
| Road transport | 20,849 |
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) | 66,953,794 | 60,129,245 | -6,824,549 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 31,162,284 | 28,176,289 | -2,985,995 |
| Air transport | 17,314,454 | 20,149,729 | +2,835,275 |
| Other | 273,424 | 293,908 | +20,484 |
| Road transport | 20,849 | 0 | -20,849 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 79,863,705 |
| Immingham Docks | 21,668,103 |
| Southampton | 20,734,992 |
| London Gateway Port | 16,200,275 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 14,830,159 |
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 | 44,185,864 | 35,677,841 | -8,508,023 |
| Immingham Docks | 8,987,013 | 12,681,090 | +3,694,077 |
| Southampton | 9,014,829 | 11,720,163 | +2,705,334 |
| London Gateway Port | 8,681,165 | 7,519,110 | -1,162,055 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 5,503,088 | 9,327,071 | +3,823,983 |
| Felixstowe | 6,875,639 | 3,905,030 | -2,970,609 |
| Dover | 5,772,864 | 4,791,934 | -980,930 |
| East Midlands Airport | 4,713,206 | 3,343,842 | -1,369,364 |
| London Stansted Airport | 3,464,773 | 3,306,355 | -158,418 |
| Liverpool Docks | 2,848,367 | 2,340,255 | -508,112 |
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