Import/export HS code 5501: Synthetic filament tow
Thin strands of synthetic fibers, often used to make yarn or fabric
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Japan | 13,333,321 |
| Portugal | 4,107,627 |
| Germany | 3,237,380 |
| United States | 2,607,394 |
| France | 2,300,061 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 4,927,378 | 8,405,943 | +3,478,565 |
| Portugal | 2,763,135 | 1,344,492 | -1,418,643 |
| Germany | 1,589,604 | 1,647,776 | +58,172 |
| United States | 1,209,023 | 1,398,371 | +189,348 |
| France | 1,138,281 | 1,161,780 | +23,499 |
| China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | 621,270 | 96,715 | -524,555 |
| China | 211,323 | 328,878 | +117,555 |
| Turkey | 278,060 | 227,159 | -50,901 |
| Canada | 95,562 | 269,160 | +173,598 |
| South Korea | 167,730 | 78,389 | -89,341 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Japan | 13,339,419 |
| United States | 5,098,783 |
| Portugal | 4,481,722 |
| France | 2,302,506 |
| China | 1,151,251 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 4,931,409 | 8,408,010 | +3,476,601 |
| United States | 2,501,375 | 2,597,408 | +96,033 |
| Portugal | 2,856,886 | 1,624,836 | -1,232,050 |
| France | 1,138,281 | 1,164,225 | +25,944 |
| China | 723,196 | 428,055 | -295,141 |
| Germany | 200,838 | 386,560 | +185,722 |
| Turkey | 278,060 | 227,159 | -50,901 |
| South Korea | 167,730 | 39,402 | -128,328 |
| Canada | 95,562 | 53,525 | -42,037 |
| China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | 116,402 | 0 | -116,402 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester | 4 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 3 |
| Inner London - West | 3 |
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | 2 |
| West Central Scotland | 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 | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Inner London - West | 1 | 3 | +2 |
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| West Central Scotland | 2 | 0 | -2 |
| Cornwall and Isles of Scilly | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| Cumbria | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire | 1 | 1 | +0 |
| Highlands and Islands | 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) | 21,999,253 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 5,768,433 |
| Air transport | 500,982 |
| Other | 175 |
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) | 9,966,598 | 12,032,655 | +2,066,057 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 2,827,394 | 2,941,039 | +113,645 |
| Air transport | 317,855 | 183,127 | -134,728 |
| Other | 56 | 119 | +63 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Grangemouth Docks | 13,249,846 |
| Southampton | 4,009,916 |
| Felixstowe | 3,114,440 |
| Greenock | 2,720,561 |
| Dover | 2,148,721 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grangemouth Docks | 4,866,998 | 8,382,848 | +3,515,850 |
| Southampton | 1,835,662 | 2,174,254 | +338,592 |
| Felixstowe | 1,747,928 | 1,366,512 | -381,416 |
| Greenock | 1,945,551 | 775,010 | -1,170,541 |
| Dover | 1,023,035 | 1,125,686 | +102,651 |
| Liverpool Docks | 668,417 | 556,567 | -111,850 |
| Immingham Docks | 192,352 | 379,720 | +187,368 |
| Middlesbrough | 185,079 | 7,124 | -177,955 |
| Eurotunnel | 120,060 | 59,658 | -60,402 |
| Birmingham Airport | 146,338 | 18,713 | -127,625 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
| Manufacture of textiles | 7 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 5 |
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 5 |
| Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products | 3 |
| Other manufacturing | 3 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-04 | 5 |
| 2026-03 | 6 |
| 2026-02 | 2 |
| 2026-01 | 3 |
| 2025-12 | 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 | 16 |
| 54m+ | 6 |
| Other | 2 |
| 15m-54m | 1 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Italy | 2,586,699 |
| Japan | 1,065,567 |
| Germany | 299,870 |
| United States | 214,214 |
| Algeria | 198,280 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 1,475,939 | 1,110,760 | -365,179 |
| Japan | 975,728 | 89,839 | -885,889 |
| Germany | 10,667 | 289,203 | +278,536 |
| United States | 170,372 | 43,842 | -126,530 |
| Algeria | 0 | 198,280 | +198,280 |
| China | 44,355 | 100,837 | +56,482 |
| Hungary | 0 | 140,638 | +140,638 |
| Turkey | 3,000 | 62,853 | +59,853 |
| Belgium | 33,042 | 25,521 | -7,521 |
| Canada | 34,606 | 0 | -34,606 |
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) | 3,113,917 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,366,938 |
| Air transport | 496,626 |
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) | 1,535,189 | 1,578,728 | +43,539 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,108,619 | 258,319 | -850,300 |
| Air transport | 206,285 | 290,341 | +84,056 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 2,894,829 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 1,135,857 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 253,615 |
| Immingham Docks | 202,609 |
| Glasgow Airport | 76,059 |
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 | 1,499,579 | 1,395,250 | -104,329 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 990,885 | 144,972 | -845,913 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 38,163 | 215,452 | +177,289 |
| Immingham Docks | 30,808 | 171,801 | +140,993 |
| Glasgow Airport | 76,059 | 0 | -76,059 |
| London Gateway Port | 5,413 | 64,843 | +59,430 |
| East Midlands Airport | 30,456 | 35,215 | +4,759 |
| Southampton | 32,740 | 30,970 | -1,770 |
| London Stansted Airport | 36,614 | 26,211 | -10,403 |
| Liverpool Docks | 40,056 | 989 | -39,067 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
Quick facts
HS code: 5501
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Thin strands of synthetic fibers, often used to make yarn or fabric