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 | 35,959,648 |
| Italy | 19,722,773 |
| Belgium | 17,501,099 |
| Ecuador | 14,873,264 |
| France | 14,866,575 |
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 | 18,650,502 | 17,309,146 | -1,341,356 |
| Italy | 10,291,209 | 9,431,564 | -859,645 |
| Belgium | 8,853,035 | 8,648,064 | -204,971 |
| Ecuador | 9,049,910 | 5,823,354 | -3,226,556 |
| France | 7,482,439 | 7,384,136 | -98,303 |
| Philippines | 5,276,430 | 6,057,149 | +780,719 |
| Sri Lanka | 5,604,240 | 4,666,559 | -937,681 |
| Turkey | 4,547,872 | 4,039,554 | -508,318 |
| China | 4,809,387 | 3,374,006 | -1,435,381 |
| Netherlands | 3,542,073 | 3,048,542 | -493,531 |
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 | 37,595,992 |
| Italy | 23,977,045 |
| Belgium | 17,088,863 |
| Ecuador | 15,517,788 |
| Philippines | 11,864,722 |
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 | 19,482,081 | 18,113,911 | -1,368,170 |
| Italy | 12,367,487 | 11,609,558 | -757,929 |
| Belgium | 8,993,991 | 8,094,872 | -899,119 |
| Ecuador | 9,170,554 | 6,347,234 | -2,823,320 |
| Philippines | 5,283,418 | 6,581,304 | +1,297,886 |
| China | 6,597,082 | 4,806,857 | -1,790,225 |
| Sri Lanka | 5,536,079 | 4,365,154 | -1,170,925 |
| Turkey | 4,889,495 | 4,296,751 | -592,744 |
| France | 4,196,457 | 4,229,338 | +32,881 |
| Bangladesh | 3,146,505 | 2,833,244 | -313,261 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 178 |
| West Yorkshire | 49 |
| Inner London - East | 44 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 36 |
| Greater Manchester | 35 |
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 | 134 | 116 | -18 |
| West Yorkshire | 41 | 36 | -5 |
| Inner London - East | 30 | 33 | +3 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 30 | 27 | -3 |
| Greater Manchester | 31 | 19 | -12 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 20 | 20 | +0 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 22 | 23 | +1 |
| Lancashire | 19 | 22 | +3 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 24 | 17 | -7 |
| 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) | 100,173,680 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 58,162,262 |
| Air transport | 23,073,137 |
| Other | 2,461,032 |
| Road transport | 1,040,335 |
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) | 53,010,570 | 47,163,110 | -5,847,460 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 30,203,641 | 27,958,621 | -2,245,020 |
| Air transport | 11,987,752 | 11,085,385 | -902,367 |
| Other | 1,118,038 | 1,342,994 | +224,956 |
| Road transport | 595,549 | 444,786 | -150,763 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| London Gateway Port | 30,937,538 |
| Felixstowe | 23,741,439 |
| Dover | 22,237,962 |
| Southampton | 19,021,122 |
| Eurotunnel | 11,438,431 |
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 | 16,559,321 | 14,378,217 | -2,181,104 |
| Felixstowe | 14,513,643 | 9,227,796 | -5,285,847 |
| Dover | 12,617,309 | 9,620,653 | -2,996,656 |
| Southampton | 7,467,398 | 11,553,724 | +4,086,326 |
| Eurotunnel | 5,311,048 | 6,127,383 | +816,335 |
| Thamesport | 5,679,349 | 5,554,485 | -124,864 |
| Belfast Port | 5,318,528 | 2,619,028 | -2,699,500 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 4,466,063 | 3,368,827 | -1,097,236 |
| East Midlands Airport | 3,084,348 | 3,332,546 | +248,198 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 3,282,576 | 3,046,476 | -236,100 |
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 | 282 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 234 |
| Manufacture of textiles | 95 |
| Other professional, scientific and technical activities | 57 |
| Manufacture of wearing apparel | 39 |
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 | 422 |
| 0-1m | 186 |
| 54m+ | 110 |
| 15m-54m | 92 |
| 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 | 51,383,658 |
| France | 7,195,273 |
| Netherlands | 6,730,652 |
| India | 5,141,337 |
| Germany | 3,638,639 |
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 | 26,213,045 | 25,170,613 | -1,042,432 |
| France | 4,109,640 | 3,085,633 | -1,024,007 |
| Netherlands | 3,109,024 | 3,621,628 | +512,604 |
| India | 2,908,129 | 2,233,208 | -674,921 |
| Germany | 1,545,294 | 2,093,345 | +548,051 |
| Italy | 1,742,007 | 1,351,915 | -390,092 |
| Ireland | 991,728 | 987,138 | -4,590 |
| China | 1,095,003 | 769,863 | -325,140 |
| Canada | 763,953 | 777,419 | +13,466 |
| Australia | 733,112 | 731,032 | -2,080 |
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 | 234,081 |
| Poland | 68,327 |
| Czechia | 53,157 |
| France | 33,370 |
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 | 1,803,769 | 3,488,844 | +1,685,075 |
| Nicaragua | 234,081 | 0 | -234,081 |
| Poland | 55,788 | 12,539 | -43,249 |
| Czechia | 23,366 | 29,791 | +6,425 |
| France | 13,283 | 20,087 | +6,804 |
| Ireland | 14,136 | 9,628 | -4,508 |
| China | 15,073 | 2,030 | -13,043 |
| India | 3,592 | 2,659 | -933 |
| Sri Lanka | 398 | 575 | +177 |
| Netherlands | 15 | 0 | -15 |
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 | 69,208,225 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 15,720,166 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 9,784,204 |
| Other | 7,126,037 |
| Road transport | 369,001 |
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 | 35,844,966 | 33,363,259 | -2,481,707 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 8,597,683 | 7,122,483 | -1,475,200 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 5,049,334 | 4,734,870 | -314,464 |
| Other | 3,136,845 | 3,989,192 | +852,347 |
| Road transport | 369,001 | 0 | -369,001 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| East Midlands Airport | 20,391,518 |
| London Stansted Airport | 16,571,358 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 13,276,232 |
| ZLC | 13,136,443 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 7,303,305 |
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 | 11,994,054 | 8,397,464 | -3,596,590 |
| London Stansted Airport | 7,420,591 | 9,150,767 | +1,730,176 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 6,470,425 | 6,805,807 | +335,382 |
| ZLC | 7,566,189 | 5,570,254 | -1,995,935 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 4,040,922 | 3,262,383 | -778,539 |
| 000 | 3,127,536 | 3,935,771 | +808,235 |
| Dover | 2,535,402 | 2,315,416 | -219,986 |
| Manchester Airport | 1,668,631 | 1,849,246 | +180,615 |
| Belfast Port | 2,118,173 | 1,090,292 | -1,027,881 |
| Belfast Airport | 957,074 | 1,515,248 | +558,174 |
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