Import/export HS code 5508: Sewing thread made from man-made fibers
Sewing thread made from synthetic or artificial fibers, available in retail or bulk packaging
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| China | 884,836 |
| Netherlands | 604,512 |
| Thailand | 492,838 |
| Romania | 432,050 |
| Germany | 366,793 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 560,384 | 324,452 | -235,932 |
| Netherlands | 249,774 | 354,738 | +104,964 |
| Thailand | 274,563 | 218,275 | -56,288 |
| Romania | 199,326 | 232,724 | +33,398 |
| Germany | 161,745 | 205,048 | +43,303 |
| Belgium | 189,327 | 164,989 | -24,338 |
| Turkey | 162,425 | 50,523 | -111,902 |
| Spain | 171,937 | 27 | -171,910 |
| Malaysia | 53,126 | 80,237 | +27,111 |
| France | 68,747 | 48,767 | -19,980 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| China | 1,889,387 |
| Turkey | 511,879 |
| Indonesia | 381,054 |
| Thailand | 356,770 |
| Spain | 194,843 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 1,053,070 | 836,317 | -216,753 |
| Turkey | 317,453 | 194,426 | -123,027 |
| Indonesia | 206,813 | 174,241 | -32,572 |
| Thailand | 139,471 | 217,299 | +77,828 |
| Spain | 178,994 | 15,849 | -163,145 |
| Germany | 74,399 | 82,737 | +8,338 |
| Malaysia | 53,126 | 80,237 | +27,111 |
| India | 26,496 | 50,843 | +24,347 |
| Slovenia | 41,174 | 29,545 | -11,629 |
| United States | 39,187 | 21,179 | -18,008 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester | 6 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 5 |
| West Yorkshire | 4 |
| Cheshire | 3 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 3 |
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 | 4 | 6 | +2 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 4 | 4 | +0 |
| West Yorkshire | 4 | 2 | -2 |
| Cheshire | 3 | 3 | +0 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| Inner London - West | 3 | 2 | -1 |
| Lancashire | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 2 | 3 | +1 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 1 | 2 | +1 |
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) | 2,620,293 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 759,847 |
| Air transport | 621,937 |
| Other | 43,640 |
| Road transport | 3,254 |
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) | 1,445,079 | 1,175,214 | -269,865 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 468,288 | 291,559 | -176,729 |
| Air transport | 293,150 | 328,787 | +35,637 |
| Other | 33,049 | 10,591 | -22,458 |
| Road transport | 3,254 | 0 | -3,254 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Felixstowe | 914,637 |
| Southampton | 742,206 |
| Birmingham Airport | 417,530 |
| Dover | 383,544 |
| Killingholme | 308,952 |
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 | 605,637 | 309,000 | -296,637 |
| Southampton | 447,358 | 294,848 | -152,510 |
| Birmingham Airport | 179,383 | 238,147 | +58,764 |
| Dover | 253,906 | 129,638 | -124,268 |
| Killingholme | 174,301 | 134,651 | -39,650 |
| London Gateway Port | 94,399 | 160,215 | +65,816 |
| Thamesport | 70,045 | 125,776 | +55,731 |
| Eurotunnel | 110,356 | 64,578 | -45,778 |
| Immingham Docks | 32,550 | 93,297 | +60,747 |
| London | 33,304 | 46,033 | +12,729 |
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
|
23 |
|
Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles
|
11 |
|
Manufacture of textiles
|
9 |
|
Manufacture of wearing apparel
|
5 |
|
Office administrative, office support and other business support activities
|
4 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-05 | 14 |
| 2026-04 | 13 |
| 2026-03 | 16 |
| 2026-02 | 13 |
| 2026-01 | 19 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| KORBOND INDUSTRIES LIMITED | 97 |
| DEE SET LOGISTICS LIMITED | 73 |
| MADEIRA UK LLP | 61 |
| WOOL WAREHOUSE DIRECT LIMITED | 53 |
| COATS TRADING (UK) LIMITED | 52 |
| SOMAC THREADS LIMITED | 52 |
| AMANN THREADS UK LIMITED | 41 |
| MARATHON THREADS (NOTTINGHAM) LTD | 41 |
| IMMI LTD | 40 |
| FISCHBEIN-SAXON LTD | 39 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 34 |
| 15m-54m | 10 |
| 0-1m | 9 |
| 54m+ | 6 |
| Other | 4 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Viet Nam | 940,247 |
| United States | 640,792 |
| Morocco | 153,127 |
| Ireland | 141,171 |
| Madagascar | 72,650 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viet Nam | 124,641 | 815,606 | +690,965 |
| United States | 228,559 | 412,233 | +183,674 |
| Morocco | 51,562 | 101,565 | +50,003 |
| Ireland | 73,343 | 67,828 | -5,515 |
| Madagascar | 72,650 | 0 | -72,650 |
| Tunisia | 27,453 | 12,063 | -15,390 |
| Czechia | 17,444 | 11,064 | -6,380 |
| Chile | 3,000 | 9,207 | +6,207 |
| Sweden | 11,145 | 0 | -11,145 |
| Japan | 10,491 | 0 | -10,491 |
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 | 2,197 |
| Nicaragua | 15 |
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 | 2,172 | 25 | -2,147 |
| Nicaragua | 0 | 15 | +15 |
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 | 1,298,677 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 493,309 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 329,566 |
| Other | 2,212 |
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 | 249,526 | 1,049,151 | +799,625 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 244,406 | 248,903 | +4,497 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 167,193 | 162,373 | -4,820 |
| Other | 2,172 | 40 | -2,132 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 1,192,857 |
| Liverpool Docks | 418,873 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 137,009 |
| Heysham | 106,864 |
| Southampton | 65,824 |
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 | 191,218 | 1,001,639 | +810,421 |
| Liverpool Docks | 164,170 | 254,703 | +90,533 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 82,065 | 54,944 | -27,121 |
| Heysham | 55,094 | 51,770 | -3,324 |
| Southampton | 63,814 | 2,010 | -61,804 |
| East Midlands Airport | 36,219 | 7,658 | -28,561 |
| Portsmouth | 9,471 | 29,934 | +20,463 |
| Manchester Airport | 3,600 | 25,226 | +21,626 |
| London Stansted Airport | 17,482 | 10,509 | -6,973 |
| London Gateway Port | 19,009 | 1,476 | -17,533 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
Quick facts
HS code: 5508
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Sewing thread made from synthetic or artificial fibers, available in retail or bulk packaging