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 | 36,212,610 |
| Italy | 20,879,012 |
| Belgium | 18,275,648 |
| France | 15,154,746 |
| Ecuador | 14,870,564 |
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 | 18,272,655 | 17,939,955 | -332,700 |
| Italy | 10,641,665 | 10,237,347 | -404,318 |
| Belgium | 8,760,481 | 9,515,167 | +754,686 |
| France | 7,445,372 | 7,709,374 | +264,002 |
| Ecuador | 7,991,743 | 6,878,821 | -1,112,922 |
| Philippines | 5,632,444 | 6,062,672 | +430,228 |
| Sri Lanka | 5,635,369 | 4,537,548 | -1,097,821 |
| Turkey | 4,562,775 | 4,304,499 | -258,276 |
| China | 4,893,345 | 3,650,196 | -1,243,149 |
| Netherlands | 3,548,103 | 3,396,948 | -151,155 |
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 | 37,560,647 |
| Italy | 25,163,766 |
| Belgium | 17,838,754 |
| Ecuador | 15,557,374 |
| China | 12,005,833 |
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 | 19,143,669 | 18,416,978 | -726,691 |
| Italy | 12,637,492 | 12,526,274 | -111,218 |
| Belgium | 8,849,734 | 8,989,020 | +139,286 |
| Ecuador | 8,114,549 | 7,442,825 | -671,724 |
| China | 6,762,233 | 5,243,600 | -1,518,633 |
| Philippines | 5,640,903 | 6,073,749 | +432,846 |
| Sri Lanka | 5,592,044 | 4,603,953 | -988,091 |
| Turkey | 4,899,111 | 4,618,972 | -280,139 |
| France | 4,155,378 | 4,482,273 | +326,895 |
| Bangladesh | 3,185,654 | 2,917,044 | -268,610 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 185 |
| West Yorkshire | 52 |
| Inner London - East | 45 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 39 |
| Greater Manchester | 36 |
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 | 135 | 128 | -7 |
| West Yorkshire | 43 | 38 | -5 |
| Inner London - East | 31 | 33 | +2 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 31 | 27 | -4 |
| Greater Manchester | 33 | 19 | -14 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 28 | 24 | -4 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 17 | 21 | +4 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 23 | 20 | -3 |
| Lancashire | 20 | 21 | +1 |
| Gloucestershire and Wiltshire | 18 | 22 | +4 |
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) | 101,084,025 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 60,485,794 |
| Air transport | 23,728,213 |
| Other | 2,888,534 |
| Road transport | 1,145,095 |
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) | 51,875,493 | 49,208,532 | -2,666,961 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 30,235,308 | 30,250,486 | +15,178 |
| Air transport | 11,716,213 | 12,012,000 | +295,787 |
| Other | 1,274,263 | 1,614,271 | +340,008 |
| Road transport | 668,073 | 477,022 | -191,051 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Gateway Port | 30,977,674 |
| Felixstowe | 24,783,684 |
| Dover | 23,413,182 |
| Southampton | 19,388,228 |
| Eurotunnel | 11,624,243 |
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 | 14,955,895 | 16,021,779 | +1,065,884 |
| Felixstowe | 14,590,268 | 10,193,416 | -4,396,852 |
| Dover | 13,108,462 | 10,304,720 | -2,803,742 |
| Southampton | 7,787,851 | 11,600,377 | +3,812,526 |
| Eurotunnel | 4,986,425 | 6,637,818 | +1,651,393 |
| Thamesport | 5,405,058 | 6,193,799 | +788,741 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 4,668,476 | 3,572,341 | -1,096,135 |
| Belfast Port | 5,375,314 | 2,641,002 | -2,734,312 |
| East Midlands Airport | 3,061,446 | 3,552,176 | +490,730 |
| London | 2,570,265 | 3,888,507 | +1,318,242 |
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 | 283 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 245 |
| Manufacture of textiles | 96 |
| Other professional, scientific and technical activities | 60 |
| Manufacture of wearing apparel | 38 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2025-11 | 197 |
| 2025-10 | 212 |
| 2025-09 | 183 |
| 2025-08 | 167 |
| 2025-07 | 201 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| ROMO LIMITED | 119 |
| COLEFAX GROUP PLC | 119 |
| TURNBULL PRINTS LTD | 119 |
| WARWICK FABRICS (UK) LIMITED | 118 |
| GP & J BAKER LIMITED | 118 |
| SANDERSON DESIGN GROUP PLC | 117 |
| OSBORNE & LITTLE LIMITED | 117 |
| TURNELL AND GIGON LIMITED | 116 |
| JAMES HARE LIMITED | 115 |
| PARRY MURRAY & COMPANY LIMITED | 115 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 430 |
| 0-1m | 200 |
| 54m+ | 116 |
| 15m-54m | 94 |
| Other | 45 |
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 | 52,532,945 |
| France | 7,269,063 |
| Netherlands | 6,913,467 |
| India | 5,688,526 |
| Germany | 3,493,875 |
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 | 24,814,209 | 27,718,736 | +2,904,527 |
| France | 3,972,458 | 3,296,605 | -675,853 |
| Netherlands | 3,265,559 | 3,647,908 | +382,349 |
| India | 3,390,640 | 2,297,886 | -1,092,754 |
| Germany | 1,596,832 | 1,897,043 | +300,211 |
| Italy | 1,791,020 | 1,523,020 | -268,000 |
| Ireland | 1,025,694 | 1,118,075 | +92,381 |
| China | 1,067,262 | 1,066,905 | -357 |
| Australia | 749,645 | 770,617 | +20,972 |
| Spain | 777,447 | 727,905 | -49,542 |
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 | 4,929,104 |
| XU | 596,821 |
| Nicaragua | 421,766 |
| Poland | 72,729 |
| Czechia | 53,288 |
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 | 1,435,951 | 3,493,153 | +2,057,202 |
| XU | 595,012 | 1,809 | -593,203 |
| Nicaragua | 421,766 | 0 | -421,766 |
| Poland | 46,299 | 26,430 | -19,869 |
| Czechia | 21,438 | 31,850 | +10,412 |
| France | 871 | 32,486 | +31,615 |
| Ireland | 13,644 | 10,180 | -3,464 |
| China | 15,076 | 2,039 | -13,037 |
| QV | 9,570 | 1,793 | -7,777 |
| India | 3,537 | 3,166 | -371 |
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 | 71,407,733 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 16,145,544 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 10,309,092 |
| Other | 7,047,820 |
| Road transport | 494,640 |
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 | 34,795,131 | 36,612,602 | +1,817,471 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 8,460,989 | 7,684,555 | -776,434 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 5,522,615 | 4,786,477 | -736,138 |
| Other | 3,013,321 | 4,034,499 | +1,021,178 |
| Road transport | 474,270 | 20,370 | -453,900 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| East Midlands Airport | 21,494,429 |
| London Stansted Airport | 16,641,505 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 13,957,590 |
| ZLC | 13,559,751 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 7,706,375 |
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 | 11,879,833 | 9,614,596 | -2,265,237 |
| London Stansted Airport | 6,942,836 | 9,698,669 | +2,755,833 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 6,708,014 | 7,249,576 | +541,562 |
| ZLC | 7,124,326 | 6,435,425 | -688,901 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 4,207,908 | 3,498,467 | -709,441 |
| 000 | 3,003,751 | 4,032,706 | +1,028,955 |
| Dover | 2,434,842 | 2,531,731 | +96,889 |
| Manchester Airport | 1,447,140 | 2,040,065 | +592,925 |
| Belfast Port | 2,140,715 | 1,115,274 | -1,025,441 |
| London Gateway Port | 2,163,552 | 419,694 | -1,743,858 |
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