Import/export HS code 5508: Sewing thread made from man-made fibers
Sewing thread made from synthetic or artificial fibers, available in retail or bulk packaging
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| China | 965,005 |
| Netherlands | 646,076 |
| Romania | 537,621 |
| Thailand | 440,968 |
| Germany | 407,926 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 630,779 | 334,226 | -296,553 |
| Netherlands | 259,923 | 386,153 | +126,230 |
| Romania | 328,756 | 208,865 | -119,891 |
| Thailand | 207,629 | 233,339 | +25,710 |
| Germany | 221,742 | 186,184 | -35,558 |
| Belgium | 222,250 | 147,978 | -74,272 |
| Turkey | 111,080 | 77,252 | -33,828 |
| Spain | 92,785 | 79,167 | -13,618 |
| France | 52,076 | 65,523 | +13,447 |
| Malaysia | 0 | 91,906 | +91,906 |
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 | £ |
|---|---|
| China | 2,093,402 |
| Turkey | 545,923 |
| Indonesia | 389,719 |
| Thailand | 274,996 |
| Spain | 197,456 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 1,180,397 | 913,005 | -267,392 |
| Turkey | 330,773 | 215,150 | -115,623 |
| Indonesia | 216,065 | 173,654 | -42,411 |
| Thailand | 106,183 | 168,813 | +62,630 |
| Spain | 99,238 | 98,218 | -1,020 |
| Germany | 90,773 | 82,797 | -7,976 |
| Malaysia | 0 | 91,906 | +91,906 |
| Slovenia | 47,165 | 36,461 | -10,704 |
| India | 50,413 | 28,217 | -22,196 |
| United States | 31,237 | 25,903 | -5,334 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester | 8 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 5 |
| West Yorkshire | 5 |
| Cheshire | 4 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 3 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Manchester | 6 | 6 | +0 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 2 | 4 | +2 |
| West Yorkshire | 4 | 3 | -1 |
| Cheshire | 3 | 3 | +0 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 2 | 3 | +1 |
| Inner London - West | 3 | 3 | +0 |
| North Wales | 3 | 1 | -2 |
| Outer London - West and North West | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 2 | 2 | +0 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 1 | 2 | +1 |
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) | 2,701,962 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 853,961 |
| Air transport | 598,905 |
| Other | 42,086 |
| Road transport | 3,254 |
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) | 1,476,819 | 1,225,143 | -251,676 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 486,735 | 367,226 | -119,509 |
| Air transport | 292,635 | 306,270 | +13,635 |
| Other | 14,529 | 27,557 | +13,028 |
| Road transport | 0 | 3,254 | +3,254 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Felixstowe | 937,860 |
| Southampton | 724,232 |
| Dover | 431,330 |
| Birmingham Airport | 380,541 |
| Killingholme | 318,928 |
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 | 585,203 | 352,657 | -232,546 |
| Southampton | 394,415 | 329,817 | -64,598 |
| Dover | 220,549 | 210,781 | -9,768 |
| Birmingham Airport | 154,188 | 226,353 | +72,165 |
| Killingholme | 207,740 | 111,188 | -96,552 |
| Thamesport | 186,163 | 126,052 | -60,111 |
| London Gateway Port | 86,659 | 155,215 | +68,556 |
| Eurotunnel | 116,134 | 59,694 | -56,440 |
| Immingham Docks | 27,888 | 101,921 | +74,033 |
| London | 30,409 | 49,232 | +18,823 |
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 | 24 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 13 |
| Manufacture of textiles | 10 |
| Office administrative, office support and other business support activities | 5 |
| Manufacture of wearing apparel | 4 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 19 |
| 2025-11 | 12 |
| 2025-10 | 21 |
| 2025-09 | 16 |
| 2025-08 | 17 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| KORBOND INDUSTRIES LIMITED | 92 |
| DEE SET LOGISTICS LIMITED | 72 |
| MADEIRA UK LLP | 56 |
| SOMAC THREADS LIMITED | 49 |
| WOOL WAREHOUSE DIRECT LIMITED | 48 |
| COATS TRADING (UK) LIMITED | 47 |
| MARATHON THREADS (NOTTINGHAM) LTD | 40 |
| IMMI LTD | 38 |
| AMANN THREADS UK LIMITED | 36 |
| FISCHBEIN-SAXON LTD | 35 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 38 |
| 15m-54m | 9 |
| 0-1m | 8 |
| 54m+ | 8 |
| Other | 4 |
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 | 401,607 |
| Viet Nam | 165,567 |
| Morocco | 130,724 |
| Ireland | 121,631 |
| Madagascar | 72,650 |
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 | 130,571 | 271,036 | +140,465 |
| Viet Nam | 154,298 | 11,269 | -143,029 |
| Morocco | 41,381 | 89,343 | +47,962 |
| Ireland | 65,573 | 56,058 | -9,515 |
| Madagascar | 53,641 | 19,009 | -34,632 |
| Tunisia | 8,001 | 31,832 | +23,831 |
| Czechia | 15,635 | 9,224 | -6,411 |
| Mexico | 18,758 | 0 | -18,758 |
| Sweden | 10,626 | 6,136 | -4,490 |
| Germany | 10,349 | 3,300 | -7,049 |
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 | 2,333 |
| Nicaragua | 15 |
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 | 1,149 | 1,184 | +35 |
| Nicaragua | 0 | 15 | +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 | 407,590 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 405,862 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 307,448 |
| Other | 2,348 |
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 | 314,289 | 93,301 | -220,988 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 134,925 | 270,937 | +136,012 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 145,416 | 162,032 | +16,616 |
| Other | 1,149 | 1,199 | +50 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Liverpool Docks | 304,585 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 264,439 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 153,588 |
| Heysham | 83,928 |
| East Midlands Airport | 69,192 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool Docks | 85,066 | 219,519 | +134,453 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 210,293 | 54,146 | -156,147 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 73,256 | 80,332 | +7,076 |
| Heysham | 39,312 | 44,616 | +5,304 |
| East Midlands Airport | 60,268 | 8,924 | -51,344 |
| Southampton | 31,741 | 34,083 | +2,342 |
| London Gateway Port | 14,982 | 20,485 | +5,503 |
| Manchester Airport | 9,338 | 19,697 | +10,359 |
| London Stansted Airport | 18,801 | 7,620 | -11,181 |
| Portsmouth | 2,652 | 21,780 | +19,128 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
Quick facts
HS code: 5508
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Sewing thread made from synthetic or artificial fibers, available in retail or bulk packaging