Import/export HS code 5205: Cotton yarn (85%+ cotton)
Yarn made mostly from cotton (85% or more by weight), not for sewing
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 | 13,229,109 |
| Egypt | 5,097,707 |
| Pakistan | 3,567,962 |
| Germany | 3,275,971 |
| Portugal | 1,890,738 |
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 | 7,300,170 | 5,928,939 | -1,371,231 |
| Egypt | 2,166,293 | 2,931,414 | +765,121 |
| Pakistan | 1,804,601 | 1,763,361 | -41,240 |
| Germany | 2,443,611 | 832,360 | -1,611,251 |
| Portugal | 1,160,079 | 730,659 | -429,420 |
| India | 831,378 | 801,337 | -30,041 |
| Belgium | 1,030,624 | 471,848 | -558,776 |
| Czechia | 780,984 | 525,191 | -255,793 |
| Turkey | 504,492 | 794,829 | +290,337 |
| France | 639,295 | 465,967 | -173,328 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Egypt | 11,052,764 |
| India | 8,407,134 |
| Pakistan | 4,035,785 |
| Turkey | 3,516,888 |
| Germany | 1,793,667 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | 5,453,739 | 5,599,025 | +145,286 |
| India | 4,968,616 | 3,438,518 | -1,530,098 |
| Pakistan | 1,996,299 | 2,039,486 | +43,187 |
| Turkey | 1,804,435 | 1,712,453 | -91,982 |
| Germany | 1,037,746 | 755,921 | -281,825 |
| Italy | 896,731 | 406,244 | -490,487 |
| Czechia | 774,021 | 519,332 | -254,689 |
| Belgium | 776,243 | 301,714 | -474,529 |
| Portugal | 467,937 | 353,503 | -114,434 |
| Spain | 318,825 | 320,966 | +2,141 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| West Yorkshire | 20 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 12 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 11 |
| Greater Manchester | 8 |
| Inner London - West | 8 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Yorkshire | 16 | 14 | -2 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 9 | 7 | -2 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 9 | 9 | +0 |
| Greater Manchester | 7 | 5 | -2 |
| Inner London - West | 7 | 4 | -3 |
| Lancashire | 5 | 6 | +1 |
| Inner London - East | 3 | 2 | -1 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 2 | 3 | +1 |
| Highlands and Islands | 1 | 3 | +2 |
| North Wales | 3 | 1 | -2 |
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) | 23,648,392 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 8,642,326 |
| Air transport | 2,954,639 |
| Road transport | 159,384 |
| Other | 47,269 |
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) | 12,625,280 | 11,023,112 | -1,602,168 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 4,927,084 | 3,715,242 | -1,211,842 |
| Air transport | 1,569,125 | 1,385,514 | -183,611 |
| Road transport | 95,317 | 64,067 | -31,250 |
| Other | 28,011 | 19,258 | -8,753 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Eurotunnel | 7,533,570 |
| Middlesbrough | 5,574,488 |
| Liverpool Docks | 5,003,648 |
| Dover | 4,739,991 |
| Felixstowe | 2,470,170 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eurotunnel | 4,577,321 | 2,956,249 | -1,621,072 |
| Middlesbrough | 3,052,016 | 2,522,472 | -529,544 |
| Liverpool Docks | 2,001,696 | 3,001,952 | +1,000,256 |
| Dover | 3,054,341 | 1,685,650 | -1,368,691 |
| Felixstowe | 1,256,749 | 1,213,421 | -43,328 |
| Southampton | 986,193 | 912,157 | -74,036 |
| London Gateway Port | 859,989 | 957,321 | +97,332 |
| Birmingham Airport | 1,060,164 | 573,545 | -486,619 |
| Newhaven | 422,712 | 308,398 | -114,314 |
| London | 139,314 | 477,159 | +337,845 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
| Manufacture of textiles | 50 |
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 22 |
| Manufacture of wearing apparel | 20 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 14 |
| Manufacture of food products | 7 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 20 |
| 2025-11 | 25 |
| 2025-10 | 29 |
| 2025-09 | 23 |
| 2025-08 | 13 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| REX H. PERKINS LIMITED | 85 |
| LINTON TWEEDS LIMITED | 54 |
| HOWORTHS TEXTILES LIMITED | 53 |
| BURBERRY LIMITED | 48 |
| ROBERT SCOTT & SONS LIMITED | 47 |
| LAPPET MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED | 47 |
| CAMIRA GROUP LTD | 47 |
| JOHN SPENCER (TEXTILES) LIMITED | 45 |
| S. DAWES WEAVING LIMITED | 44 |
| ARISTO FABRICS LIMITED | 41 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 48 |
| 54m+ | 23 |
| 0-1m | 21 |
| 15m-54m | 12 |
| 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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Lithuania | 2,697,506 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1,414,251 |
| Ireland | 380,326 |
| China | 222,681 |
| Germany | 170,164 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lithuania | 1,410,424 | 1,287,082 | -123,342 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1,023,165 | 391,086 | -632,079 |
| Ireland | 330,196 | 50,130 | -280,066 |
| China | 135,634 | 87,047 | -48,587 |
| Germany | 156,451 | 13,713 | -142,738 |
| Nigeria | 70,671 | 37,153 | -33,518 |
| Italy | 10,874 | 11,960 | +1,086 |
| Poland | 22,123 | 0 | -22,123 |
| Belgium | 0 | 12,753 | +12,753 |
| Japan | 0 | 11,001 | +11,001 |
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 | 327,244 |
| Portugal | 46,275 |
| XI | 4,374 |
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 | 327,244 | 0 | -327,244 |
| Portugal | 0 | 46,275 | +46,275 |
| XI | 0 | 4,374 | +4,374 |
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) | 2,835,305 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,647,284 |
| Other | 378,106 |
| Air transport | 299,423 |
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) | 1,489,700 | 1,345,605 | -144,095 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 1,215,640 | 431,644 | -783,996 |
| Other | 327,244 | 50,862 | -276,382 |
| Air transport | 159,445 | 139,978 | -19,467 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 1,506,347 |
| Immingham Docks | 1,305,563 |
| Liverpool Docks | 921,924 |
| London Gateway Port | 490,414 |
| 000 | 378,106 |
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 | 897,733 | 608,614 | -289,119 |
| Immingham Docks | 575,792 | 729,771 | +153,979 |
| Liverpool Docks | 921,924 | 0 | -921,924 |
| London Gateway Port | 60,696 | 429,718 | +369,022 |
| 000 | 327,244 | 50,862 | -276,382 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 49,559 | 85,916 | +36,357 |
| Felixstowe | 101,557 | 1,926 | -99,631 |
| Dover | 98,463 | 3,052 | -95,411 |
| Glasgow Airport | 84,588 | 0 | -84,588 |
| East Midlands Airport | 11,859 | 47,147 | +35,288 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
- 520511 – Thick cotton yarn
- 520512 – Medium-thick cotton yarn
- 520513 – Medium cotton yarn
- 520514 – Medium-fine cotton yarn
- 520515 – Fine cotton yarn
- 520521 – Thick cotton yarn (single strand)
- 520522 – Medium-thick cotton yarn (single strand)
- 520523 – Medium cotton yarn (single strand)
- 520524 – Medium-fine cotton yarn (single strand)
- 520526 – Fine cotton yarn (single strand)
- 520527 – Very fine cotton yarn (single strand)
- 520528 – Extra-fine cotton yarn (single strand)
- 520531 – Thick cotton yarn (single yarn)
- 520532 – Medium-thick cotton yarn (single yarn)
- 520533 – Medium cotton yarn (single yarn)
- 520534 – Medium-fine cotton yarn (single yarn)
- 520535 – Fine cotton yarn (single yarn)
- 520541 – Thick cotton yarn (single yarn, alternate)
- 520542 – Medium-thick cotton yarn (single yarn, alternate)
- 520543 – Medium cotton yarn (single yarn, alternate)
- 520544 – Medium-fine cotton yarn (single yarn, alternate)
- 520546 – Fine cotton yarn (single yarn, alternate)
- 520547 – Very fine cotton yarn (single yarn, alternate)
- 520548 – Extra-fine cotton yarn (single yarn, alternate)
Quick facts
HS code: 5205
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Yarn made mostly from cotton (85% or more by weight), not for sewing