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 | 83,850,933 |
| Germany | 63,406,774 |
| China | 61,456,609 |
| Italy | 35,305,960 |
| Indonesia | 34,235,563 |
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 | 49,252,168 | 34,598,765 | -14,653,403 |
| Germany | 37,290,570 | 26,116,204 | -11,174,366 |
| China | 33,426,545 | 28,030,064 | -5,396,481 |
| Italy | 19,370,966 | 15,934,994 | -3,435,972 |
| Indonesia | 20,757,242 | 13,478,321 | -7,278,921 |
| South Korea | 21,415,041 | 12,580,335 | -8,834,706 |
| Viet Nam | 15,826,234 | 13,308,058 | -2,518,176 |
| India | 15,071,503 | 12,552,984 | -2,518,519 |
| Belgium | 14,092,742 | 10,988,236 | -3,104,506 |
| France | 13,019,826 | 11,497,058 | -1,522,768 |
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 | 87,847,962 |
| China | 63,514,281 |
| Germany | 57,877,760 |
| Indonesia | 37,534,436 |
| South Korea | 36,467,604 |
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 | 51,581,126 | 36,266,836 | -15,314,290 |
| China | 34,589,030 | 28,925,251 | -5,663,779 |
| Germany | 33,845,749 | 24,032,011 | -9,813,738 |
| Indonesia | 22,669,275 | 14,865,161 | -7,804,114 |
| South Korea | 23,327,144 | 13,140,460 | -10,186,684 |
| Italy | 18,917,697 | 16,029,063 | -2,888,634 |
| India | 16,772,457 | 14,586,493 | -2,185,964 |
| Viet Nam | 16,438,823 | 13,896,216 | -2,542,607 |
| United States | 13,623,358 | 9,365,416 | -4,257,942 |
| Japan | 7,148,507 | 13,069,915 | +5,921,408 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Inner London - West | 212 |
| West Yorkshire | 126 |
| Greater Manchester | 112 |
| Inner London - East | 74 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 60 |
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 | 158 | 138 | -20 |
| West Yorkshire | 108 | 102 | -6 |
| Greater Manchester | 79 | 83 | +4 |
| Inner London - East | 54 | 50 | -4 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 44 | 42 | -2 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 47 | 35 | -12 |
| Lancashire | 47 | 39 | -8 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 40 | 35 | -5 |
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 40 | 34 | -6 |
| West Midlands | 32 | 35 | +3 |
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) | 355,072,622 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 181,004,067 |
| Air transport | 30,345,834 |
| Other | 17,077,012 |
| Road transport | 4,458,817 |
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) | 200,694,110 | 154,378,512 | -46,315,598 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 104,552,410 | 76,451,657 | -28,100,753 |
| Air transport | 16,062,090 | 14,283,744 | -1,778,346 |
| Other | 10,822,576 | 6,254,436 | -4,568,140 |
| Road transport | 2,456,578 | 2,002,239 | -454,339 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Felixstowe | 149,459,709 |
| Dover | 84,533,690 |
| Southampton | 82,874,438 |
| Liverpool Docks | 48,873,850 |
| London Gateway Port | 38,504,224 |
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 | 100,782,965 | 48,676,744 | -52,106,221 |
| Dover | 45,126,245 | 39,407,445 | -5,718,800 |
| Southampton | 46,323,192 | 36,551,246 | -9,771,946 |
| Liverpool Docks | 24,730,026 | 24,143,824 | -586,202 |
| London Gateway Port | 16,007,528 | 22,496,696 | +6,489,168 |
| Eurotunnel | 14,093,281 | 9,465,399 | -4,627,882 |
| 000 | 10,821,071 | 6,246,840 | -4,574,231 |
| Immingham Docks | 9,934,775 | 6,045,598 | -3,889,177 |
| ZLC | 8,131,106 | 6,335,546 | -1,795,560 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 4,503,654 | 8,521,229 | +4,017,575 |
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 | 378 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 283 |
| Manufacture of textiles | 224 |
| Other manufacturing | 84 |
| Manufacture of wearing apparel | 78 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 322 |
| 2025-11 | 334 |
| 2025-10 | 363 |
| 2025-09 | 335 |
| 2025-08 | 312 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| JOHN COTTON GROUP LIMITED | 120 |
| ROMO LIMITED | 120 |
| A.MARTIN BUNZL LIMITED | 120 |
| SANDERSON DESIGN GROUP PLC | 119 |
| SPECTRUM YARNS LIMITED | 119 |
| COLEFAX GROUP PLC | 119 |
| PRESTIGIOUS TEXTILES LIMITED | 119 |
| WARWICK FABRICS (UK) LIMITED | 119 |
| SMD (HOLDINGS) LIMITED | 119 |
| FRYETT'S FABRICS LIMITED | 119 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 659 |
| 0-1m | 265 |
| 54m+ | 246 |
| 15m-54m | 132 |
| Other | 70 |
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 | 22,689,104 |
| United States | 20,256,443 |
| France | 12,274,457 |
| Morocco | 12,186,444 |
| Italy | 10,374,511 |
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 | 11,967,228 | 10,721,876 | -1,245,352 |
| United States | 10,669,001 | 9,587,442 | -1,081,559 |
| France | 7,576,261 | 4,698,196 | -2,878,065 |
| Morocco | 7,058,089 | 5,128,355 | -1,929,734 |
| Italy | 6,466,604 | 3,907,907 | -2,558,697 |
| Tunisia | 5,836,427 | 4,152,972 | -1,683,455 |
| Turkey | 5,156,541 | 4,455,401 | -701,140 |
| Ireland | 5,144,504 | 3,599,415 | -1,545,089 |
| China | 4,172,188 | 3,288,757 | -883,431 |
| Romania | 4,322,763 | 2,955,037 | -1,367,726 |
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 | 66,506 |
| Portugal | 48,569 |
| India | 28,818 |
| 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 | 36,663 | 29,843 | -6,820 |
| Portugal | 0 | 48,569 | +48,569 |
| India | 17,576 | 11,242 | -6,334 |
| Netherlands | 3,854 | 23,628 | +19,774 |
| Panama | 12,305 | 10,001 | -2,304 |
| Belgium | 7,453 | 11,295 | +3,842 |
| Switzerland | 6,774 | 10,842 | +4,068 |
| Spain | 12,952 | 0 | -12,952 |
| Ireland | 5,649 | 5,249 | -400 |
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) | 117,870,909 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 54,811,344 |
| Air transport | 31,678,373 |
| Other | 483,245 |
| Road transport | 396,467 |
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) | 68,443,741 | 49,427,168 | -19,016,573 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 28,797,997 | 26,013,347 | -2,784,650 |
| Air transport | 16,814,793 | 14,863,580 | -1,951,213 |
| Other | 295,502 | 187,743 | -107,759 |
| Road transport | 396,467 | 0 | -396,467 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 78,156,642 |
| Southampton | 18,242,009 |
| Immingham Docks | 17,488,403 |
| London Gateway Port | 13,934,633 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 10,923,612 |
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 | 47,216,873 | 30,939,769 | -16,277,104 |
| Southampton | 7,636,840 | 10,605,169 | +2,968,329 |
| Immingham Docks | 9,454,744 | 8,033,659 | -1,421,085 |
| London Gateway Port | 8,568,617 | 5,366,016 | -3,202,601 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 5,154,869 | 5,768,743 | +613,874 |
| Felixstowe | 4,290,824 | 6,029,375 | +1,738,551 |
| Dover | 5,785,377 | 4,260,724 | -1,524,653 |
| East Midlands Airport | 4,953,744 | 3,071,503 | -1,882,241 |
| London Stansted Airport | 3,208,616 | 2,832,734 | -375,882 |
| Liverpool Docks | 2,846,588 | 1,959,658 | -886,930 |
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