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 | 12,826,031 |
| Portugal | 3,491,895 |
| Germany | 2,988,130 |
| United States | 2,391,251 |
| France | 2,127,600 |
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 | 5,616,911 | 7,209,120 | +1,592,209 |
| Portugal | 2,936,940 | 554,955 | -2,381,985 |
| Germany | 1,557,402 | 1,430,728 | -126,674 |
| United States | 1,105,233 | 1,286,018 | +180,785 |
| France | 1,098,442 | 1,029,158 | -69,284 |
| China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | 505,986 | 96,715 | -409,271 |
| China | 218,713 | 313,750 | +95,037 |
| Turkey | 314,531 | 190,688 | -123,843 |
| Canada | 95,562 | 269,160 | +173,598 |
| South Korea | 246,119 | 0 | -246,119 |
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 | 12,829,466 |
| United States | 4,636,053 |
| Portugal | 3,865,990 |
| France | 2,130,045 |
| China | 1,084,681 |
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 | 5,618,279 | 7,211,187 | +1,592,908 |
| United States | 2,309,431 | 2,326,622 | +17,191 |
| Portugal | 3,030,691 | 835,299 | -2,195,392 |
| France | 1,099,109 | 1,030,936 | -68,173 |
| China | 671,754 | 412,927 | -258,827 |
| Germany | 298,440 | 288,958 | -9,482 |
| Turkey | 314,531 | 190,688 | -123,843 |
| South Korea | 207,132 | 0 | -207,132 |
| Canada | 95,562 | 53,525 | -42,037 |
| Spain | 62,334 | 17,368 | -44,966 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 3 |
| Greater Manchester | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| Greater Manchester | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| Inner London - West | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| 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) | 20,614,495 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 5,349,864 |
| Air transport | 417,016 |
| 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) | 10,798,879 | 9,815,616 | -983,263 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 2,759,133 | 2,590,731 | -168,402 |
| Air transport | 257,736 | 159,280 | -98,456 |
| Other | 118 | 57 | -61 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Grangemouth Docks | 12,742,556 |
| Southampton | 3,858,966 |
| Felixstowe | 2,755,743 |
| Greenock | 2,390,502 |
| Dover | 1,978,063 |
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 | 5,556,531 | 7,186,025 | +1,629,494 |
| Southampton | 1,829,895 | 2,029,071 | +199,176 |
| Felixstowe | 1,588,618 | 1,167,125 | -421,493 |
| Greenock | 2,238,404 | 152,098 | -2,086,306 |
| Dover | 986,634 | 991,429 | +4,795 |
| Liverpool Docks | 574,769 | 389,942 | -184,827 |
| Immingham Docks | 288,957 | 283,115 | -5,842 |
| Middlesbrough | 185,079 | 7,124 | -177,955 |
| Eurotunnel | 120,060 | 59,658 | -60,402 |
| Birmingham Airport | 141,830 | 13,692 | -128,138 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
|
Manufacture of textiles
|
7 |
|
Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles
|
5 |
|
Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles
|
4 |
|
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 | 15 |
| 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 | 2,421,958 |
| Japan | 998,430 |
| Germany | 293,524 |
| Algeria | 198,280 |
| United States | 145,274 |
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 | 1,728,209 | 693,749 | -1,034,460 |
| Japan | 998,430 | 0 | -998,430 |
| Germany | 4,321 | 289,203 | +284,882 |
| Algeria | 110,880 | 87,400 | -23,480 |
| United States | 101,026 | 44,248 | -56,778 |
| China | 83,909 | 61,283 | -22,626 |
| 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) | 2,947,830 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,299,801 |
| Air transport | 401,849 |
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) | 1,783,613 | 1,164,217 | -619,396 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,170,875 | 128,926 | -1,041,949 |
| Air transport | 229,139 | 172,710 | -56,429 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 2,733,428 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 1,068,720 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 241,543 |
| Immingham Docks | 197,923 |
| London Gateway Port | 70,256 |
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 | 1,750,127 | 983,301 | -766,826 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 1,053,141 | 15,579 | -1,037,562 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 138,152 | 103,391 | -34,761 |
| Immingham Docks | 28,684 | 169,239 | +140,555 |
| London Gateway Port | 5,413 | 64,843 | +59,430 |
| Southampton | 32,740 | 30,970 | -1,770 |
| London Stansted Airport | 35,723 | 26,211 | -9,512 |
| East Midlands Airport | 29,024 | 30,645 | +1,621 |
| Liverpool Docks | 40,056 | 989 | -39,067 |
| Greenock | 33,757 | 0 | -33,757 |
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