Chapter

50

Chapter 50: Silk

7 headings make up chapter 50, part of section XI, textiles and textile articles.

Duty rates compared

Headings 7

EU: imports by month

last 12 months€296.9m-5.7% · previous 12 months
Average import price€65.79 per kg
Jan 2024: €17.8mFeb 2024: €27.8mMar 2024: €22.2mApr 2024: €26.5mMay 2024: €25.1mJun 2024: €28.7mJul 2024: €28mAug 2024: €16.8mSept 2024: €31.2mOct 2024: €31.7mNov 2024: €27.1mDec 2024: €26.4mJan 2025: €27.3mFeb 2025: €22.3mMar 2025: €26mApr 2025: €25.6mMay 2025: €32.8mJun 2025: €25.1mJul 2025: €20.6mAug 2025: €18.5mSept 2025: €30.4mOct 2025: €22.6mNov 2025: €23.2mDec 2025: €27.3mJan 2026: €28.6mFeb 2026: €25.5mMar 2026: €23.8mApr 2026: €29.4mMay 2026: €21mJun 2026: €22.8mJul 2026: €27.8mAug 2026: €14.5m 202420252026
Data up to August 2026 (provisional) · Monthly data: Eurostat Comext (CC BY 4.0), HMRC (OGL v3.0)

World trade in 2024

50 · US$2bn

Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$83kUS$83k+US$1m+US$19m+> US$140m

Exports: 136
  1. China: US$668m
  2. Italy: US$256m
  3. India: US$154m
  4. Vietnam: US$140m
  5. Romania: US$91m
  6. Uzbekistan: US$54m
  7. Brazil: US$40m
  8. Japan: US$29m
  9. France: US$27m
  10. United Kingdom: US$25m
  11. South Korea: US$19m
  12. Germany: US$19m
  13. Austria: US$19m
  14. Qatar: US$11m
  15. North Korea: US$7m
  16. Hong Kong SAR China: US$7m
  17. Spain: US$7m
  18. Switzerland: US$6m
  19. Thailand: US$6m
  20. Slovenia: US$5m
  21. United States: US$4m
  22. Myanmar (Burma): US$4m
  23. Türkiye: US$4m
  24. Tunisia: US$3m
  25. South Africa: US$2m
  26. San Marino: US$2m
  27. Belgium: US$2m
  28. Lithuania: US$2m
  29. Netherlands: US$1m
  30. Greece: US$1m
  31. Morocco: US$1m
  32. Poland: US$1m
  33. Mexico: US$1m
  34. Hungary: US$1m
  35. Tajikistan: US$1m
  36. Azerbaijan: US$942k
  37. Peru: US$825k
  38. Taiwan: US$820k
  39. Singapore: US$816k
  40. Portugal: US$810k
  41. Malaysia: US$630k
  42. Norway: US$589k
  43. Kazakhstan: US$584k
  44. Canada: US$527k
  45. Bulgaria: US$473k
  46. Indonesia: US$460k
  47. Denmark: US$385k
  48. Czechia: US$361k
  49. Malta: US$337k
  50. United Arab Emirates: US$329k
  51. Australia: US$223k
  52. Pakistan: US$208k
  53. Mauritius: US$200k
  54. Laos: US$181k
  55. Ireland: US$177k
  56. Cyprus: US$176k
  57. Sweden: US$127k
  58. Nicaragua: US$120k
  59. Russia: US$109k
  60. Slovakia: US$107k

Top exporters

RankCountryValueShare
1 China US$668m 41%
2 Italy US$256m 15.7%
3 India US$154m 9.4%
4 Vietnam US$140m 8.6%
5 Romania US$91m 5.6%
6 Uzbekistan US$54m 3.3%
7 Brazil US$40m 2.5%
8 Japan US$29m 1.8%
9 France US$27m 1.7%
10 United Kingdom US$25m 1.5%

Top importers

RankCountryValueShare
1 Italy US$287m 17.6%
2 India US$179m 11%
3 France US$117m 7.2%
4 Romania US$100m 6.1%
5 United Arab Emirates US$91m 5.6%
6 China US$88m 5.4%
7 Japan US$84m 5.2%
8 United States US$72m 4.4%
9 Vietnam US$67m 4.1%
10 Germany US$55m 3.3%

In the UK Global Tariff, chapter 50 covers 43 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 6%. 11 of them are duty-free.

The EU Combined Nomenclature divides chapter 50 into 24 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 7.5% (average 5.1%). 3 of them are duty-free.

In the Turkish Customs Tariff Schedule, chapter 50 covers 33 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 7.5%. 4 of them are duty-free.

World trade in chapter 50 goods reached US$2bn in 2024, down 10.1% on 2023.

China was the largest exporter with 41% of the total, ahead of Italy.

Italy imported the most (US$287m).

Products classified here

Questions and answers

What is the HS code for silk?

Silk make up HS chapter 50, in section XI of the Harmonized System.

What is the import duty on silk in the UK?

Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 50 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 0% to 6%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.

What is the import duty on silk in the EU?

Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 50 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 0% to 7.5%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.

Which country exports the most silk?

China, with US$668m in 2024 (41% of world exports).