Import/export HS code 55: Man-made staple fibers
Fibers made by humans, not natural, used in textiles and fabrics
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Turkey | 90,239,382 |
| Germany | 67,019,998 |
| China | 63,336,319 |
| Italy | 38,000,613 |
| Indonesia | 35,867,861 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 51,695,528 | 38,543,854 | -13,151,674 |
| Germany | 36,757,123 | 30,262,875 | -6,494,248 |
| China | 30,308,345 | 33,027,974 | +2,719,629 |
| Italy | 20,368,833 | 17,631,780 | -2,737,053 |
| Indonesia | 20,514,915 | 15,352,946 | -5,161,969 |
| South Korea | 21,080,130 | 13,919,403 | -7,160,727 |
| Viet Nam | 15,676,794 | 14,833,083 | -843,711 |
| India | 14,607,955 | 13,731,446 | -876,509 |
| Belgium | 14,054,871 | 12,529,572 | -1,525,299 |
| France | 12,504,817 | 12,878,568 | +373,751 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Turkey | 94,582,227 |
| China | 65,938,530 |
| Germany | 61,071,190 |
| Indonesia | 39,425,376 |
| Italy | 37,641,816 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 54,170,145 | 40,412,082 | -13,758,063 |
| China | 32,580,342 | 33,358,188 | +777,846 |
| Germany | 33,209,169 | 27,862,021 | -5,347,148 |
| Indonesia | 22,255,436 | 17,169,940 | -5,085,496 |
| Italy | 20,024,194 | 17,617,622 | -2,406,572 |
| South Korea | 22,863,205 | 14,719,869 | -8,143,336 |
| Viet Nam | 16,340,563 | 15,569,616 | -770,947 |
| India | 16,018,269 | 15,890,994 | -127,275 |
| United States | 14,252,734 | 10,009,150 | -4,243,584 |
| Japan | 7,192,845 | 14,017,994 | +6,825,149 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 214 |
| West Yorkshire | 127 |
| Greater Manchester | 114 |
| Inner London - East | 75 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 63 |
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 | 160 | 149 | -11 |
| West Yorkshire | 107 | 105 | -2 |
| Greater Manchester | 80 | 86 | +6 |
| Inner London - East | 54 | 50 | -4 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 51 | 37 | -14 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 45 | 43 | -2 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 42 | 38 | -4 |
| Lancashire | 46 | 38 | -8 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 43 | 37 | -6 |
| West Midlands | 33 | 38 | +5 |
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) | 372,874,541 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 191,563,400 |
| Air transport | 31,834,214 |
| Other | 18,619,511 |
| Road transport | 4,619,795 |
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) | 199,380,449 | 173,494,092 | -25,886,357 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 105,689,353 | 85,874,047 | -19,815,306 |
| Air transport | 16,466,858 | 15,367,356 | -1,099,502 |
| Other | 10,829,610 | 7,789,901 | -3,039,709 |
| Road transport | 2,699,862 | 1,919,933 | -779,929 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Felixstowe | 164,276,684 |
| Dover | 89,145,485 |
| Southampton | 85,742,268 |
| Liverpool Docks | 48,167,999 |
| London Gateway Port | 37,910,500 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Felixstowe | 106,527,404 | 57,749,280 | -48,778,124 |
| Dover | 44,850,110 | 44,295,375 | -554,735 |
| Southampton | 43,560,849 | 42,181,419 | -1,379,430 |
| Liverpool Docks | 22,533,350 | 25,634,649 | +3,101,299 |
| London Gateway Port | 14,263,036 | 23,647,464 | +9,384,428 |
| Eurotunnel | 14,171,464 | 10,814,616 | -3,356,848 |
| 000 | 10,827,412 | 7,785,325 | -3,042,087 |
| Immingham Docks | 10,691,690 | 6,154,465 | -4,537,225 |
| ZLC | 8,548,335 | 6,786,577 | -1,761,758 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 5,308,583 | 9,067,209 | +3,758,626 |
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 | 385 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 294 |
| Manufacture of textiles | 225 |
| Other manufacturing | 90 |
| Manufacture of wearing apparel | 85 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2025-11 | 334 |
| 2025-10 | 363 |
| 2025-09 | 335 |
| 2025-08 | 312 |
| 2025-07 | 345 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| JOHN COTTON GROUP LIMITED | 119 |
| ROMO LIMITED | 119 |
| A.MARTIN BUNZL LIMITED | 119 |
| SANDERSON DESIGN GROUP PLC | 118 |
| SPECTRUM YARNS LIMITED | 118 |
| COLEFAX GROUP PLC | 118 |
| PRESTIGIOUS TEXTILES LIMITED | 118 |
| WARWICK FABRICS (UK) LIMITED | 118 |
| SMD (HOLDINGS) LIMITED | 118 |
| FRYETT'S FABRICS LIMITED | 118 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 679 |
| 0-1m | 275 |
| 54m+ | 250 |
| 15m-54m | 138 |
| Other | 73 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Germany | 22,328,304 |
| United States | 21,332,145 |
| France | 13,431,560 |
| Morocco | 13,209,951 |
| Italy | 11,191,314 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 12,228,751 | 10,099,553 | -2,129,198 |
| United States | 11,083,292 | 10,248,853 | -834,439 |
| France | 8,119,999 | 5,311,561 | -2,808,438 |
| Morocco | 7,397,628 | 5,812,323 | -1,585,305 |
| Italy | 6,692,585 | 4,498,729 | -2,193,856 |
| Turkey | 6,246,477 | 4,813,490 | -1,432,987 |
| Tunisia | 5,204,243 | 4,774,597 | -429,646 |
| Ireland | 5,280,320 | 3,981,273 | -1,299,047 |
| Romania | 4,817,785 | 3,201,400 | -1,616,385 |
| China | 3,837,209 | 4,044,097 | +206,888 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| Turkey | 192,119 |
| XI | 70,720 |
| Portugal | 48,569 |
| India | 30,215 |
| Netherlands | 27,482 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 177,378 | 14,741 | -162,637 |
| XI | 36,415 | 34,305 | -2,110 |
| Portugal | 0 | 48,569 | +48,569 |
| India | 19,107 | 11,108 | -7,999 |
| Netherlands | 2,402 | 25,080 | +22,678 |
| Panama | 11,610 | 11,112 | -498 |
| XU | 10,747 | 11,935 | +1,188 |
| Switzerland | 6,960 | 11,694 | +4,734 |
| Spain | 18,090 | 0 | -18,090 |
| Belgium | 7,102 | 10,878 | +3,776 |
Export volume by transport
What this shows: Export value by transport mode used to ship goods from the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 122,392,624 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 59,450,628 |
| Air transport | 32,674,369 |
| Road transport | 529,360 |
| Other | 499,369 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 68,517,625 | 53,874,999 | -14,642,626 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 31,709,490 | 27,741,138 | -3,968,352 |
| Air transport | 16,742,226 | 15,932,143 | -810,083 |
| Road transport | 529,360 | 0 | -529,360 |
| Other | 309,077 | 190,292 | -118,785 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 84,131,194 |
| Southampton | 18,807,930 |
| Immingham Docks | 15,880,266 |
| London Gateway Port | 14,748,811 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 11,159,585 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 49,645,408 | 34,485,786 | -15,159,622 |
| Southampton | 8,199,563 | 10,608,367 | +2,408,804 |
| Immingham Docks | 8,581,120 | 7,299,146 | -1,281,974 |
| London Gateway Port | 8,549,049 | 6,199,762 | -2,349,287 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 5,092,269 | 6,067,316 | +975,047 |
| Dover | 5,913,931 | 5,037,033 | -876,898 |
| Felixstowe | 3,957,505 | 6,634,472 | +2,676,967 |
| East Midlands Airport | 5,165,194 | 3,451,213 | -1,713,981 |
| London Stansted Airport | 3,106,885 | 3,172,845 | +65,960 |
| Liverpool Docks | 2,869,040 | 2,270,166 | -598,874 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
- 5501 – Synthetic filament tow
- 5502 – Artificial fiber bundles
- 5503 – Synthetic fiber strands, unprocessed
- 5504 – Artificial staple fibers, not processed for spinning
- 5505 – Waste of man-made fibers
- 5506 – Synthetic fibers ready for spinning
- 5507 – Artificial fibers ready for spinning
- 5508 – Sewing thread made from man-made fibers
- 5509 – Yarn made from synthetic fibers
- 5510 – Yarn made from artificial fibers, not for retail sale
- 5511 – Yarn made from man-made fibers, for retail sale
- 5512 – Woven fabrics made mostly of synthetic fibers
- 5513 – Lightweight synthetic-cotton fabrics
- 5514 – Woven fabrics made of synthetic fibers mixed with cotton
- 5515 – Woven fabrics made of synthetic fibers
- 5516 – Woven fabrics made from artificial fibers
Quick facts
HS code: 55
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Fibers made by humans, not natural, used in textiles and fabrics