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 | 56,156,172 |
| Italy | 21,432,014 |
| Pakistan | 18,819,771 |
| Netherlands | 13,186,469 |
| China | 12,087,130 |
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 | 26,419,922 | 29,736,250 | +3,316,328 |
| Italy | 11,608,089 | 9,823,925 | -1,784,164 |
| Pakistan | 9,358,416 | 9,461,355 | +102,939 |
| Netherlands | 6,110,461 | 7,076,008 | +965,547 |
| China | 6,640,609 | 5,446,521 | -1,194,088 |
| India | 5,526,136 | 4,887,109 | -639,027 |
| Turkey | 2,895,715 | 2,956,680 | +60,965 |
| South Korea | 2,947,004 | 2,078,151 | -868,853 |
| Germany | 1,462,444 | 1,161,746 | -300,698 |
| United States | 1,468,302 | 966,919 | -501,383 |
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 | 56,845,628 |
| Pakistan | 19,802,848 |
| Italy | 17,479,157 |
| China | 12,900,364 |
| India | 11,680,602 |
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 | 27,166,826 | 29,678,802 | +2,511,976 |
| Pakistan | 9,894,690 | 9,908,158 | +13,468 |
| Italy | 9,090,251 | 8,388,906 | -701,345 |
| China | 6,770,952 | 6,129,412 | -641,540 |
| India | 6,461,925 | 5,218,677 | -1,243,248 |
| Netherlands | 4,754,917 | 6,058,840 | +1,303,923 |
| South Korea | 4,699,037 | 3,520,644 | -1,178,393 |
| Turkey | 2,975,905 | 2,935,449 | -40,456 |
| United Kingdom | 2,184,967 | 956,220 | -1,228,747 |
| Germany | 1,477,619 | 1,169,125 | -308,494 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 117 |
| Inner London - East | 49 |
| Greater Manchester | 32 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 30 |
| West Yorkshire | 27 |
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 | 80 | 80 | +0 |
| Inner London - East | 34 | 36 | +2 |
| Greater Manchester | 22 | 25 | +3 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 19 | 22 | +3 |
| West Yorkshire | 26 | 17 | -9 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 13 | 14 | +1 |
| West Midlands | 16 | 9 | -7 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 16 | 10 | -6 |
| 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) | 66,566,636 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 63,732,615 |
| Air transport | 31,573,113 |
| Road transport | 1,271,054 |
| Other | 406,971 |
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) | 33,987,818 | 32,578,818 | -1,409,000 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 31,217,544 | 32,515,071 | +1,297,527 |
| Air transport | 16,707,115 | 14,865,998 | -1,841,117 |
| Road transport | 561,858 | 709,196 | +147,338 |
| Other | 201,345 | 205,626 | +4,281 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London | 37,883,227 |
| Southampton | 19,905,370 |
| Felixstowe | 18,096,052 |
| Dover | 16,492,307 |
| Thamesport | 16,140,265 |
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 | 19,576,518 | 18,306,709 | -1,269,809 |
| Southampton | 10,291,198 | 9,614,172 | -677,026 |
| Felixstowe | 10,813,745 | 7,282,307 | -3,531,438 |
| Dover | 7,403,312 | 9,088,995 | +1,685,683 |
| Thamesport | 6,144,260 | 9,996,005 | +3,851,745 |
| Birmingham Airport | 2,739,814 | 8,633,803 | +5,893,989 |
| East Midlands Airport | 6,512,819 | 1,854,480 | -4,658,339 |
| London Gateway Port | 2,559,377 | 4,067,436 | +1,508,059 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 3,947,757 | 2,183,491 | -1,764,266 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 3,247,477 | 1,930,747 | -1,316,730 |
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 | 183 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 176 |
| Manufacture of textiles | 60 |
| 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 |
|---|---|
| 2025-11 | 116 |
| 2025-10 | 117 |
| 2025-09 | 108 |
| 2025-08 | 100 |
| 2025-07 | 134 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| PREMIER TEXTILES LIMITED | 117 |
| HANTEX LIMITED | 116 |
| J.BARBOUR & SONS,LIMITED | 112 |
| EUROPEAN QUILTING SUPPLIES LIMITED | 111 |
| SIR JACOB BEHRENS & SONS,LIMITED | 110 |
| M.& N.TEXTILES LIMITED | 109 |
| WHALEYS(BRADFORD)LIMITED | 105 |
| LIBERTY RETAIL LIMITED | 102 |
| PAUL SMITH LIMITED | 100 |
| EMMA WILLIS LIMITED | 98 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 232 |
| 0-1m | 146 |
| 54m+ | 70 |
| 15m-54m | 49 |
| Other | 38 |
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 | 69,504,397 |
| Senegal | 8,089,688 |
| Italy | 5,146,083 |
| United Arab Emirates | 5,056,141 |
| United States | 3,600,931 |
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 | 32,479,224 | 37,025,173 | +4,545,949 |
| Senegal | 3,717,898 | 4,371,790 | +653,892 |
| Italy | 2,970,940 | 2,175,143 | -795,797 |
| United Arab Emirates | 2,130,576 | 2,925,565 | +794,989 |
| United States | 2,007,453 | 1,593,478 | -413,975 |
| Netherlands | 1,443,776 | 1,109,658 | -334,118 |
| Oman | 1,811,252 | 593,354 | -1,217,898 |
| Turkey | 1,562,829 | 751,687 | -811,142 |
| Romania | 785,032 | 1,349,609 | +564,577 |
| France | 1,226,450 | 679,394 | -547,056 |
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 | 161,930 |
| China | 26,253 |
| XU | 14,447 |
| India | 3,580 |
| 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 | 143,366 | 18,564 | -124,802 |
| China | 13,285 | 12,968 | -317 |
| XU | 7,419 | 7,028 | -391 |
| India | 2,118 | 1,462 | -656 |
| 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 | 86,931,514 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 18,492,326 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 11,783,098 |
| Other | 206,546 |
| Road transport | 22,015 |
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 | 41,455,715 | 45,475,799 | +4,020,084 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 10,294,145 | 8,198,181 | -2,095,964 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 5,668,461 | 6,114,637 | +446,176 |
| Other | 166,430 | 40,116 | -126,314 |
| Road transport | 22,015 | 0 | -22,015 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport | 79,769,896 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 14,743,162 |
| London | 5,963,101 |
| East Midlands Airport | 3,198,550 |
| London Gateway Port | 2,676,405 |
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 | 38,123,041 | 41,646,855 | +3,523,814 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 8,856,515 | 5,886,647 | -2,969,868 |
| London | 2,145,907 | 3,817,194 | +1,671,287 |
| East Midlands Airport | 1,677,597 | 1,520,953 | -156,644 |
| London Gateway Port | 1,408,197 | 1,268,208 | -139,989 |
| Dover | 880,400 | 1,679,040 | +798,640 |
| Manchester Airport | 323,062 | 979,613 | +656,551 |
| ZLC | 666,389 | 505,690 | -160,699 |
| Southampton | 404,501 | 507,803 | +103,302 |
| London Stansted Airport | 306,632 | 459,752 | +153,120 |
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