Import/export HS code 56012110: Absorbent cotton wadding
Highly absorbent cotton wadding, often used in medical or hygiene products
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Italy | 24,486,435 |
| India | 13,302,168 |
| Belgium | 12,780,359 |
| Bulgaria | 11,924,962 |
| China | 7,352,245 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 11,561,426 | 12,925,009 | +1,363,583 |
| India | 6,562,012 | 6,740,156 | +178,144 |
| Belgium | 5,996,183 | 6,784,176 | +787,993 |
| Bulgaria | 5,449,423 | 6,475,539 | +1,026,116 |
| China | 3,518,605 | 3,833,640 | +315,035 |
| Netherlands | 2,608,055 | 3,315,736 | +707,681 |
| Turkey | 2,743,519 | 2,802,143 | +58,624 |
| Germany | 3,080,395 | 1,068,039 | -2,012,356 |
| Greece | 1,699,188 | 1,469,779 | -229,409 |
| France | 1,186,306 | 968,628 | -217,678 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Italy | 24,723,244 |
| India | 13,390,155 |
| Bulgaria | 12,432,074 |
| Turkey | 8,914,008 |
| China | 7,891,058 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 11,677,121 | 13,046,123 | +1,369,002 |
| India | 6,646,461 | 6,743,694 | +97,233 |
| Bulgaria | 5,808,575 | 6,623,499 | +814,924 |
| Turkey | 4,010,569 | 4,903,439 | +892,870 |
| China | 3,866,094 | 4,024,964 | +158,870 |
| Germany | 3,962,749 | 3,291,284 | -671,465 |
| France | 2,917,912 | 3,340,175 | +422,263 |
| Netherlands | 2,339,875 | 2,684,760 | +344,885 |
| Greece | 1,335,464 | 1,322,265 | -13,199 |
| Spain | 1,603,309 | 0 | -1,603,309 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 20 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 9 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 7 |
| Greater Manchester | 6 |
| West Midlands | 6 |
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 | 16 | 13 | -3 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 6 | 8 | +2 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 4 | 5 | +1 |
| Greater Manchester | 3 | 5 | +2 |
| West Midlands | 5 | 6 | +1 |
| West Yorkshire | 5 | 4 | -1 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 5 | 2 | -3 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 5 | 2 | -3 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 4 | 0 | -4 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 2 | 2 | +0 |
Import volume by transport
What this shows: Import value by transport mode used to bring goods into the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 49,055,113 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 38,200,285 |
| Other | 5,876,246 |
| Air transport | 829,471 |
| Road transport | 651,827 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 25,524,297 | 23,530,816 | -1,993,481 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 16,517,983 | 21,682,302 | +5,164,319 |
| Other | 4,420,689 | 1,455,557 | -2,965,132 |
| Air transport | 444,290 | 385,181 | -59,109 |
| Road transport | 16,473 | 635,354 | +618,881 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London | 27,753,002 |
| Felixstowe | 16,223,002 |
| Dover | 14,623,815 |
| London Gateway Port | 6,619,077 |
| 000 | 5,876,246 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | 12,562,261 | 15,190,741 | +2,628,480 |
| Felixstowe | 10,690,330 | 5,532,672 | -5,157,658 |
| Dover | 6,426,914 | 8,196,901 | +1,769,987 |
| London Gateway Port | 852,173 | 5,766,904 | +4,914,731 |
| 000 | 4,420,689 | 1,455,557 | -2,965,132 |
| Liverpool Docks | 2,287,323 | 2,460,157 | +172,834 |
| Immingham Docks | 2,917,702 | 1,282,735 | -1,634,967 |
| Southampton | 1,922,739 | 1,803,401 | -119,338 |
| 499 | 0 | 3,317,134 | +3,317,134 |
| Middlesbrough | 853,082 | 763,195 | -89,887 |
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 | 48 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 29 |
| Other manufacturing | 7 |
| Other personal service activities | 4 |
| Activities of head offices; management consultancy activities | 3 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-04 | 32 |
| 2026-03 | 25 |
| 2026-02 | 27 |
| 2026-01 | 27 |
| 2025-12 | 23 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| QUEST PERSONAL CARE GLOBAL LTD | 112 |
| OVERSEAS TRADING LIMITED | 87 |
| GREAT JAPANESE GUY LTD | 82 |
| SYSCO GUEST SUPPLY EUROPE LIMITED | 75 |
| TOILETRY SALES LIMITED | 74 |
| B & M RETAIL LIMITED | 69 |
| CONNECT MARKETING INTERNATIONAL LIMITED | 67 |
| POUNDLAND LIMITED | 61 |
| LIDL UK TRADING LIMITED | 51 |
| QUALTEX UK LIMITED | 49 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 54m+ | 43 |
| 1m-15m | 34 |
| Other | 14 |
| 15m-54m | 13 |
| 0-1m | 7 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Ireland | 3,754,695 |
| Denmark | 2,381,902 |
| United States | 1,409,352 |
| Taiwan | 429,354 |
| Poland | 254,449 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 1,810,483 | 1,944,212 | +133,729 |
| Denmark | 1,059,103 | 1,322,799 | +263,696 |
| United States | 501,728 | 907,624 | +405,896 |
| Taiwan | 217,242 | 212,112 | -5,130 |
| Poland | 127,727 | 126,722 | -1,005 |
| France | 68,754 | 111,332 | +42,578 |
| Singapore | 71,541 | 98,086 | +26,545 |
| United Arab Emirates | 58,923 | 81,717 | +22,794 |
| Malaysia | 58,501 | 55,510 | -2,991 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 60,358 | 41,924 | -18,434 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| France | 466,531 |
| Italy | 32,720 |
| Ireland | 10,497 |
| India | 5,131 |
| Portugal | 2,646 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 277,755 | 188,776 | -88,979 |
| Italy | 20,363 | 12,357 | -8,006 |
| Ireland | 612 | 9,885 | +9,273 |
| India | 2,585 | 2,546 | -39 |
| Portugal | 1,208 | 1,438 | +230 |
| China | 460 | 718 | +258 |
| XI | 5 | 992 | +987 |
| Turkey | 518 | 0 | -518 |
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) | 6,428,906 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 2,254,088 |
| Air transport | 829,933 |
| Other | 521,022 |
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) | 2,934,539 | 3,494,367 | +559,828 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 941,350 | 1,312,738 | +371,388 |
| Air transport | 420,864 | 409,069 | -11,795 |
| Other | 303,956 | 217,066 | -86,890 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Holyhead | 2,884,576 |
| Immingham Docks | 2,400,755 |
| Southampton | 1,331,853 |
| London Gateway Port | 603,940 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 598,335 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holyhead | 1,227,002 | 1,657,574 | +430,572 |
| Immingham Docks | 1,077,481 | 1,323,274 | +245,793 |
| Southampton | 449,668 | 882,185 | +432,517 |
| London Gateway Port | 299,954 | 303,986 | +4,032 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 272,585 | 325,750 | +53,165 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 295,148 | 301,159 | +6,011 |
| 000 | 303,956 | 217,066 | -86,890 |
| Liverpool Docks | 204,250 | 83,884 | -120,366 |
| Felixstowe | 70,327 | 59,777 | -10,550 |
| East Midlands Airport | 68,410 | 36,781 | -31,629 |
Quick facts
HS code: 56012110
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Highly absorbent cotton wadding, often used in medical or hygiene products