Import/export HS code 52: Cotton products
All types of cotton, including raw cotton, cotton fibers, and cotton-based materials
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 | 62,495,956 |
| Pakistan | 55,999,949 |
| Austria | 55,958,311 |
| India | 30,481,051 |
| China | 23,085,010 |
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 | 34,608,272 | 27,887,684 | -6,720,588 |
| Pakistan | 29,733,761 | 26,266,188 | -3,467,573 |
| Austria | 25,700,883 | 30,257,428 | +4,556,545 |
| India | 15,549,564 | 14,931,487 | -618,077 |
| China | 13,338,401 | 9,746,609 | -3,591,792 |
| Turkey | 10,546,526 | 9,251,778 | -1,294,748 |
| Germany | 9,986,081 | 7,762,168 | -2,223,913 |
| Netherlands | 8,706,102 | 9,024,152 | +318,050 |
| Spain | 7,724,575 | 7,059,916 | -664,659 |
| France | 6,452,334 | 5,823,698 | -628,636 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Pakistan | 58,796,934 |
| Austria | 56,944,363 |
| Italy | 46,380,122 |
| India | 39,757,041 |
| China | 26,951,698 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | 31,504,975 | 27,291,959 | -4,213,016 |
| Austria | 26,459,743 | 30,484,620 | +4,024,877 |
| Italy | 24,857,416 | 21,522,706 | -3,334,710 |
| India | 21,177,965 | 18,579,076 | -2,598,889 |
| China | 14,932,021 | 12,019,677 | -2,912,344 |
| Turkey | 12,722,332 | 10,905,892 | -1,816,440 |
| Spain | 8,113,506 | 7,340,332 | -773,174 |
| Germany | 7,631,166 | 6,447,487 | -1,183,679 |
| Egypt | 6,670,083 | 6,925,795 | +255,712 |
| Netherlands | 5,563,789 | 7,213,425 | +1,649,636 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 254 |
| Greater Manchester | 120 |
| Inner London - East | 98 |
| West Yorkshire | 94 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 84 |
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 | 194 | 159 | -35 |
| Greater Manchester | 83 | 76 | -7 |
| Inner London - East | 77 | 57 | -20 |
| West Yorkshire | 78 | 61 | -17 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 51 | 53 | +2 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 47 | 35 | -12 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 47 | 29 | -18 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 38 | 38 | +0 |
| West Midlands | 33 | 32 | -1 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 35 | 35 | +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) | 152,834,203 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 140,478,462 |
| Air transport | 55,076,245 |
| Other | 6,169,310 |
| Road transport | 4,092,674 |
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) | 79,414,785 | 73,419,418 | -5,995,367 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 72,831,361 | 67,647,101 | -5,184,260 |
| Air transport | 29,650,542 | 25,425,703 | -4,224,839 |
| Other | 4,120,078 | 2,049,232 | -2,070,846 |
| Road transport | 1,838,813 | 2,253,861 | +415,048 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Southampton | 53,120,882 |
| London | 42,421,353 |
| Dover | 38,983,201 |
| Felixstowe | 37,130,811 |
| Eurotunnel | 27,115,928 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southampton | 29,804,825 | 23,316,057 | -6,488,768 |
| London | 21,034,397 | 21,386,956 | +352,559 |
| Dover | 20,454,693 | 18,528,508 | -1,926,185 |
| Felixstowe | 22,471,390 | 14,659,421 | -7,811,969 |
| Eurotunnel | 13,811,352 | 13,304,576 | -506,776 |
| Thamesport | 11,865,296 | 15,103,525 | +3,238,229 |
| London Gateway Port | 7,177,093 | 11,836,635 | +4,659,542 |
| Birmingham Airport | 5,637,452 | 10,268,275 | +4,630,823 |
| East Midlands Airport | 9,517,471 | 4,326,274 | -5,191,197 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 7,678,864 | 6,079,406 | -1,599,458 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 477 |
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 465 |
| Manufacture of textiles | 163 |
| Manufacture of wearing apparel | 106 |
| Other manufacturing | 71 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 251 |
| 2025-11 | 272 |
| 2025-10 | 304 |
| 2025-09 | 257 |
| 2025-08 | 240 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| ROMO LIMITED | 120 |
| ROBERT SCOTT & SONS LIMITED | 120 |
| COLEFAX GROUP PLC | 120 |
| SANDERSON DESIGN GROUP PLC | 119 |
| JOHN COTTON GROUP LIMITED | 119 |
| ASHLEY WILDE GROUP LIMITED | 119 |
| DESIGNERS GUILD LIMITED | 119 |
| PREMIER TEXTILES LIMITED | 119 |
| PRESTIGIOUS TEXTILES LIMITED | 119 |
| FRYETT'S FABRICS LIMITED | 119 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 671 |
| 0-1m | 366 |
| 54m+ | 253 |
| 15m-54m | 147 |
| Other | 85 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Nigeria | 70,148,172 |
| United States | 25,334,752 |
| France | 24,804,799 |
| Netherlands | 14,219,362 |
| Germany | 12,901,354 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 33,144,658 | 37,003,514 | +3,858,856 |
| United States | 15,722,965 | 9,611,787 | -6,111,178 |
| France | 14,050,777 | 10,754,022 | -3,296,755 |
| Netherlands | 7,778,974 | 6,440,388 | -1,338,586 |
| Germany | 7,006,028 | 5,895,326 | -1,110,702 |
| Italy | 5,673,233 | 5,193,362 | -479,871 |
| Senegal | 3,693,789 | 4,371,227 | +677,438 |
| United Arab Emirates | 2,976,787 | 3,797,612 | +820,825 |
| Morocco | 2,657,623 | 2,470,893 | -186,730 |
| Romania | 1,742,107 | 2,196,104 | +453,997 |
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 | 330,229 |
| XI | 171,594 |
| China | 51,959 |
| India | 49,222 |
| Portugal | 48,997 |
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 | 329,279 | 950 | -328,329 |
| XI | 148,432 | 23,162 | -125,270 |
| China | 24,800 | 27,159 | +2,359 |
| India | 30,193 | 19,029 | -11,164 |
| Portugal | 0 | 48,997 | +48,997 |
| Spain | 19,026 | 10,531 | -8,495 |
| Panama | 3,509 | 3,777 | +268 |
| United States | 2,169 | 2,403 | +234 |
| Italy | 2,014 | 1,566 | -448 |
| Ireland | 258 | 112 | -146 |
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 | 141,652,299 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 74,842,077 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 24,360,539 |
| Other | 786,358 |
| Road transport | 483,139 |
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 | 74,001,398 | 67,650,901 | -6,350,497 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 40,021,164 | 34,820,913 | -5,200,251 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 13,676,469 | 10,684,070 | -2,992,399 |
| Other | 620,102 | 166,256 | -453,846 |
| Road transport | 483,139 | 0 | -483,139 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 87,584,383 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 50,137,753 |
| ZLC | 17,770,042 |
| London Stansted Airport | 16,601,899 |
| East Midlands Airport | 14,792,839 |
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 | 42,254,584 | 45,329,799 | +3,075,215 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 29,075,267 | 21,062,486 | -8,012,781 |
| ZLC | 14,140,491 | 3,629,551 | -10,510,940 |
| London Stansted Airport | 7,359,102 | 9,242,797 | +1,883,695 |
| East Midlands Airport | 8,542,507 | 6,250,332 | -2,292,175 |
| Dover | 6,186,275 | 7,351,751 | +1,165,476 |
| Immingham Docks | 6,147,807 | 5,446,661 | -701,146 |
| London Gateway Port | 3,519,375 | 3,494,159 | -25,216 |
| London | 2,413,480 | 3,841,852 | +1,428,372 |
| Manchester Airport | 1,505,792 | 2,636,193 | +1,130,401 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
- 5201 – Raw cotton
- 5202 – Cotton waste
- 5203 – Carded or combed cotton
- 5204 – Cotton sewing thread
- 5205 – Cotton yarn (85%+ cotton)
- 5206 – Cotton yarn (not sewing thread), less than 85% cotton, not for retail sale
- 5207 – Cotton yarn for retail sale
- 5208 – Lightweight woven cotton fabrics
- 5209 – Heavy cotton woven fabrics
- 5210 – Light cotton woven fabrics
- 5211 – Cotton fabrics mixed with man-made fibers
- 5212 – Various cotton woven fabrics
Quick facts
HS code: 52
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: All types of cotton, including raw cotton, cotton fibers, and cotton-based materials