Import/export HS code 5208: Lightweight woven cotton fabrics
Woven fabrics made mostly of cotton (85% or more), lightweight (under 200 g/m²). Perfect for clothing and linens
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Austria | 55,802,225 |
| Italy | 21,265,282 |
| Pakistan | 18,973,575 |
| Netherlands | 13,554,212 |
| China | 12,170,488 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 25,598,459 | 30,203,766 | +4,605,307 |
| Italy | 11,496,768 | 9,768,514 | -1,728,254 |
| Pakistan | 9,659,711 | 9,313,864 | -345,847 |
| Netherlands | 6,438,878 | 7,115,334 | +676,456 |
| China | 6,674,233 | 5,496,255 | -1,177,978 |
| India | 5,458,559 | 4,887,113 | -571,446 |
| Turkey | 3,040,287 | 2,687,360 | -352,927 |
| South Korea | 2,957,144 | 2,141,948 | -815,196 |
| Germany | 1,350,019 | 1,258,389 | -91,630 |
| United States | 1,414,981 | 981,062 | -433,919 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Austria | 56,491,061 |
| Pakistan | 19,960,192 |
| Italy | 17,522,546 |
| China | 13,129,285 |
| India | 11,453,083 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 26,338,267 | 30,152,794 | +3,814,527 |
| Pakistan | 10,227,999 | 9,732,193 | -495,806 |
| Italy | 9,094,013 | 8,428,533 | -665,480 |
| China | 6,915,079 | 6,214,206 | -700,873 |
| India | 6,196,853 | 5,256,230 | -940,623 |
| Netherlands | 4,984,747 | 6,223,786 | +1,239,039 |
| South Korea | 4,720,121 | 3,517,043 | -1,203,078 |
| Turkey | 3,113,187 | 2,693,613 | -419,574 |
| United Kingdom | 2,104,424 | 855,679 | -1,248,745 |
| Germany | 1,453,877 | 1,145,615 | -308,262 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 118 |
| Inner London - East | 51 |
| Greater Manchester | 32 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 30 |
| West Yorkshire | 28 |
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 | 83 | 82 | -1 |
| Inner London - East | 34 | 35 | +1 |
| Greater Manchester | 24 | 24 | +0 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 19 | 22 | +3 |
| West Yorkshire | 26 | 17 | -9 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 14 | 13 | -1 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 17 | 9 | -8 |
| West Midlands | 15 | 10 | -5 |
| Lancashire | 15 | 14 | -1 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 14 | 16 | +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) | 66,178,703 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 64,354,182 |
| Air transport | 31,541,248 |
| Road transport | 1,251,787 |
| Other | 413,120 |
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) | 33,226,141 | 32,952,562 | -273,579 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 31,521,865 | 32,832,317 | +1,310,452 |
| Air transport | 16,910,081 | 14,631,167 | -2,278,914 |
| Road transport | 554,648 | 697,139 | +142,491 |
| Other | 199,275 | 213,845 | +14,570 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London | 37,427,743 |
| Southampton | 19,450,125 |
| Felixstowe | 18,170,250 |
| Dover | 16,569,780 |
| Thamesport | 16,394,205 |
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 | 18,887,149 | 18,540,594 | -346,555 |
| Southampton | 10,158,547 | 9,291,578 | -866,969 |
| Felixstowe | 10,961,118 | 7,209,132 | -3,751,986 |
| Dover | 7,896,917 | 8,672,863 | +775,946 |
| Thamesport | 6,029,624 | 10,364,581 | +4,334,957 |
| Birmingham Airport | 3,490,114 | 8,472,034 | +4,981,920 |
| East Midlands Airport | 6,239,080 | 1,778,860 | -4,460,220 |
| London Gateway Port | 2,614,112 | 4,529,931 | +1,915,819 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 3,750,839 | 2,204,530 | -1,546,309 |
| Eurotunnel | 2,079,124 | 3,116,020 | +1,036,896 |
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 | 186 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 176 |
| Manufacture of textiles | 61 |
| Manufacture of wearing apparel | 57 |
| Other manufacturing | 24 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 104 |
| 2025-11 | 116 |
| 2025-10 | 117 |
| 2025-09 | 108 |
| 2025-08 | 100 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| PREMIER TEXTILES LIMITED | 118 |
| HANTEX LIMITED | 117 |
| J.BARBOUR & SONS,LIMITED | 113 |
| EUROPEAN QUILTING SUPPLIES LIMITED | 112 |
| SIR JACOB BEHRENS & SONS,LIMITED | 111 |
| M.& N.TEXTILES LIMITED | 110 |
| WHALEYS(BRADFORD)LIMITED | 106 |
| LIBERTY RETAIL LIMITED | 103 |
| PAUL SMITH LIMITED | 101 |
| EMMA WILLIS LIMITED | 99 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 238 |
| 0-1m | 142 |
| 54m+ | 70 |
| 15m-54m | 49 |
| Other | 39 |
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 | 69,907,211 |
| Senegal | 7,928,980 |
| Italy | 5,248,011 |
| United Arab Emirates | 5,045,593 |
| United States | 3,682,693 |
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 | 32,990,873 | 36,916,338 | +3,925,465 |
| Senegal | 3,693,789 | 4,235,191 | +541,402 |
| Italy | 3,157,436 | 2,090,575 | -1,066,861 |
| United Arab Emirates | 2,121,085 | 2,924,508 | +803,423 |
| United States | 2,019,650 | 1,663,043 | -356,607 |
| Netherlands | 1,403,401 | 1,291,363 | -112,038 |
| Romania | 856,461 | 1,718,933 | +862,472 |
| Oman | 1,759,481 | 675,568 | -1,083,913 |
| Turkey | 2,187,091 | 129,224 | -2,057,867 |
| France | 1,233,481 | 575,773 | -657,708 |
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 | 161,924 |
| China | 26,161 |
| India | 3,515 |
| Ireland | 336 |
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 | 143,370 | 18,554 | -124,816 |
| China | 14,034 | 12,127 | -1,907 |
| India | 2,045 | 1,470 | -575 |
| Ireland | 242 | 94 | -148 |
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 | 87,658,597 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 19,018,401 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 11,758,284 |
| Other | 206,414 |
| Road transport | 15,109 |
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 | 41,975,146 | 45,683,451 | +3,708,305 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 11,265,465 | 7,752,936 | -3,512,529 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 5,533,570 | 6,224,714 | +691,144 |
| Other | 167,019 | 39,395 | -127,624 |
| Road transport | 15,109 | 0 | -15,109 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 80,476,752 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 14,794,288 |
| London | 6,140,223 |
| East Midlands Airport | 3,157,542 |
| Dover | 2,995,168 |
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 | 38,636,745 | 41,840,007 | +3,203,262 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 9,189,004 | 5,605,284 | -3,583,720 |
| London | 2,329,436 | 3,810,787 | +1,481,351 |
| East Midlands Airport | 1,622,561 | 1,534,981 | -87,580 |
| Dover | 1,520,164 | 1,475,004 | -45,160 |
| London Gateway Port | 1,331,931 | 1,254,046 | -77,885 |
| Manchester Airport | 342,427 | 967,000 | +624,573 |
| ZLC | 663,831 | 512,816 | -151,015 |
| Southampton | 367,894 | 551,514 | +183,620 |
| London Stansted Airport | 307,050 | 503,850 | +196,800 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
- 520811 – Light plain weave cotton fabrics
- 520812 – Plain weave cotton fabrics (100-200 g/m²)
- 520813 – Twill weave cotton fabrics
- 520819 – Various cotton fabrics
- 520821 – Light plain weave cotton fabrics (bleached)
- 520822 – Plain weave cotton fabrics (100-200 g/m², bleached)
- 520823 – Bleached twill weave cotton fabrics
- 520829 – Various bleached cotton fabrics
- 520831 – Plain weave cotton fabrics (dyed)
- 520832 – Plain weave cotton fabrics (100-200 g/m², dyed)
- 520833 – Dyed twill weave cotton fabrics
- 520839 – Various dyed cotton fabrics
- 520841 – Plain weave cotton fabrics (printed)
- 520842 – Plain weave cotton fabrics (100-200 g/m², printed)
- 520843 – Printed twill weave cotton fabrics
- 520849 – Various printed cotton fabrics
- 520851 – Plain weave cotton fabrics (yarn-dyed)
- 520852 – Plain weave cotton fabrics (100-200 g/m², yarn-dyed)
- 520859 – Various yarn-dyed cotton fabrics
Quick facts
HS code: 5208
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Woven fabrics made mostly of cotton (85% or more), lightweight (under 200 g/m²). Perfect for clothing and linens