Import/export HS code 53: Various natural fibers from plants, paper yarn, and fabrics made from paper yarn
Includes all types of plant-based fibers (not cotton or jute), paper yarn, and woven fabrics made from paper yarn
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| India | 37,253,560 |
| Italy | 20,596,581 |
| Belgium | 18,168,901 |
| France | 15,486,849 |
| Ecuador | 15,367,417 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 18,688,342 | 18,565,218 | -123,124 |
| Italy | 10,373,262 | 10,223,319 | -149,943 |
| Belgium | 8,559,159 | 9,609,742 | +1,050,583 |
| France | 7,483,420 | 8,003,429 | +520,009 |
| Ecuador | 9,008,110 | 6,359,307 | -2,648,803 |
| Philippines | 5,463,868 | 6,496,391 | +1,032,523 |
| Sri Lanka | 5,768,541 | 4,895,906 | -872,635 |
| Turkey | 4,514,542 | 4,401,802 | -112,740 |
| China | 4,850,737 | 3,662,195 | -1,188,542 |
| Netherlands | 3,543,739 | 3,412,676 | -131,063 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| India | 38,963,531 |
| Italy | 24,971,698 |
| Belgium | 17,776,303 |
| Ecuador | 16,011,941 |
| Philippines | 12,491,402 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 19,517,120 | 19,446,411 | -70,709 |
| Italy | 12,457,538 | 12,514,160 | +56,622 |
| Belgium | 8,828,726 | 8,947,577 | +118,851 |
| Ecuador | 9,128,754 | 6,883,187 | -2,245,567 |
| Philippines | 5,470,856 | 7,020,546 | +1,549,690 |
| China | 6,745,210 | 5,240,912 | -1,504,298 |
| Sri Lanka | 5,733,529 | 4,576,411 | -1,157,118 |
| Turkey | 4,830,290 | 4,712,158 | -118,132 |
| France | 4,113,341 | 4,701,228 | +587,887 |
| Bangladesh | 3,238,710 | 2,944,553 | -294,157 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 183 |
| West Yorkshire | 52 |
| Inner London - East | 45 |
| Greater Manchester | 37 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 37 |
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 | 132 | 127 | -5 |
| West Yorkshire | 43 | 37 | -6 |
| Inner London - East | 30 | 35 | +5 |
| Greater Manchester | 33 | 19 | -14 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 29 | 28 | -1 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 24 | 24 | +0 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 19 | 21 | +2 |
| Lancashire | 19 | 22 | +3 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 22 | 17 | -5 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 15 | 23 | +8 |
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) | 104,004,157 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 60,683,779 |
| Air transport | 23,896,410 |
| Other | 2,690,202 |
| Road transport | 1,132,226 |
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) | 53,351,885 | 50,652,272 | -2,699,613 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 29,971,660 | 30,712,119 | +740,459 |
| Air transport | 11,824,544 | 12,071,866 | +247,322 |
| Other | 1,145,220 | 1,544,982 | +399,762 |
| Road transport | 637,118 | 495,108 | -142,010 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Gateway Port | 31,894,802 |
| Felixstowe | 24,823,915 |
| Dover | 23,321,841 |
| Southampton | 19,826,721 |
| Eurotunnel | 11,896,693 |
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 Gateway Port | 16,235,505 | 15,659,297 | -576,208 |
| Felixstowe | 14,776,166 | 10,047,749 | -4,728,417 |
| Dover | 12,674,590 | 10,647,251 | -2,027,339 |
| Southampton | 7,703,768 | 12,122,953 | +4,419,185 |
| Eurotunnel | 5,145,221 | 6,751,472 | +1,606,251 |
| Thamesport | 5,553,785 | 6,118,322 | +564,537 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 4,521,188 | 3,651,194 | -869,994 |
| Belfast Port | 5,318,248 | 2,849,563 | -2,468,685 |
| East Midlands Airport | 3,089,794 | 3,596,409 | +506,615 |
| London | 2,543,783 | 3,975,887 | +1,432,104 |
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 | 288 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 240 |
| Manufacture of textiles | 98 |
| Other professional, scientific and technical activities | 60 |
| Manufacture of wearing apparel | 40 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 163 |
| 2025-11 | 197 |
| 2025-10 | 212 |
| 2025-09 | 183 |
| 2025-08 | 167 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| ROMO LIMITED | 120 |
| COLEFAX GROUP PLC | 120 |
| TURNBULL PRINTS LTD | 120 |
| WARWICK FABRICS (UK) LIMITED | 119 |
| GP & J BAKER LIMITED | 119 |
| SANDERSON DESIGN GROUP PLC | 118 |
| OSBORNE & LITTLE LIMITED | 118 |
| TURNELL AND GIGON LIMITED | 117 |
| JAMES HARE LIMITED | 116 |
| PARRY MURRAY & COMPANY LIMITED | 116 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 433 |
| 0-1m | 194 |
| 54m+ | 114 |
| 15m-54m | 93 |
| Other | 46 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| United States | 52,993,388 |
| France | 7,349,920 |
| Netherlands | 6,998,322 |
| India | 5,525,357 |
| Germany | 3,758,237 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 25,482,372 | 27,511,016 | +2,028,644 |
| France | 4,019,667 | 3,330,253 | -689,414 |
| Netherlands | 3,183,813 | 3,814,509 | +630,696 |
| India | 3,275,093 | 2,250,264 | -1,024,829 |
| Germany | 1,612,219 | 2,146,018 | +533,799 |
| Italy | 1,702,966 | 1,476,189 | -226,777 |
| Ireland | 946,598 | 1,101,899 | +155,301 |
| China | 1,235,369 | 777,600 | -457,769 |
| Canada | 751,267 | 847,571 | +96,304 |
| Australia | 760,207 | 772,312 | +12,105 |
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 | 5,292,613 |
| Nicaragua | 356,671 |
| Poland | 69,838 |
| Czechia | 53,374 |
| France | 33,412 |
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 | 1,656,334 | 3,636,279 | +1,979,945 |
| Nicaragua | 356,671 | 0 | -356,671 |
| Poland | 47,056 | 22,782 | -24,274 |
| Czechia | 21,146 | 32,228 | +11,082 |
| France | 891 | 32,521 | +31,630 |
| Ireland | 14,196 | 9,628 | -4,568 |
| China | 15,079 | 2,036 | -13,043 |
| India | 3,527 | 2,898 | -629 |
| Sri Lanka | 381 | 610 | +229 |
| Italy | 946 | 0 | -946 |
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 | 71,797,917 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 16,231,766 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 10,211,302 |
| Other | 7,298,759 |
| Road transport | 417,813 |
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 | 35,641,166 | 36,156,751 | +515,585 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 8,446,217 | 7,785,549 | -660,668 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 5,226,946 | 4,984,356 | -242,590 |
| Other | 3,073,580 | 4,225,179 | +1,151,599 |
| Road transport | 417,813 | 0 | -417,813 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| East Midlands Airport | 21,256,113 |
| London Stansted Airport | 17,018,608 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 14,119,840 |
| ZLC | 13,403,776 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 7,670,310 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands Airport | 11,991,513 | 9,264,600 | -2,726,913 |
| London Stansted Airport | 7,213,508 | 9,805,100 | +2,591,592 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 6,656,748 | 7,463,092 | +806,344 |
| ZLC | 7,392,578 | 6,011,198 | -1,381,380 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 4,116,086 | 3,554,224 | -561,862 |
| 000 | 3,064,263 | 4,171,756 | +1,107,493 |
| Dover | 2,415,865 | 2,570,572 | +154,707 |
| Manchester Airport | 1,581,908 | 1,970,612 | +388,704 |
| Belfast Port | 2,118,173 | 1,090,292 | -1,027,881 |
| Belfast Airport | 1,134,480 | 1,515,248 | +380,768 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
- 5301 – Flax fibers, raw or processed but not spun, flax waste, and scraps
- 5302 – Raw or processed hemp, not spun
- 5303 – Raw or processed jute and similar fibers
- 5305 – Natural plant fibers like coconut, abaca, ramie, and others
- 5306 – Flax yarn
- 5307 – Yarn made from jute or similar plant fibers
- 5308 – Yarn from other plant fibers or paper
- 5309 – Woven fabrics made of flax
- 5310 – Woven fabrics made of jute or similar fibers
- 5311 – Woven fabrics made from plant-based fibers
Quick facts
HS code: 53
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Includes all types of plant-based fibers (not cotton or jute), paper yarn, and woven fabrics made from paper yarn