Subheading · Chapter 52 · Heading 5204
5204.11: Containing 85 % or more by weight of cotton
5204.11 is a six-digit subheading of heading 5204, cotton sewing thread, whether or not put up for retail sale, chapter 52.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 5204 11 00 00 Containing 85% or more by weight of cotton Free
Additional duties and import rules
Charges on top of the customs duty, and rules the goods must meet at the border.
Additional duties and charges 2
- Duty suspensionSuspension - goods for certain categories of ships, boats and other vessels and for drilling or production platforms Free
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- 2020 No. 1431
- Documents
- C990 End use authorisation ships and platforms (Column 8c, Annex A of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/2446)
- Duty suspensionAirworthiness tariff suspension Free
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- S.I. 2018/1249
- Documents
- C119 Authorised Release Certificate — EASA Form 1 (Appendix I to Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 748/2012), or equivalent certificate
Import requirements 2
- Import controlRestriction on entry into free circulation
- Applies to goods from
- Ukraine
- Legal act
- S.I. 2022/395
- Documents
- 9009
- 9010
- 9017
- Import controlRestriction on entry into free circulation
- Applies to goods from
- North Korea
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/411
- Documents
- Y084 Derogation from import prohibition by virtue of Article 16i (1) of Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1509
Preferential rates by country
| Agreement or scheme | Countries | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| standard rate (no agreement) | — | Free |
| DCTS Comprehensive | Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin and 38 moreAfghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo - Kinshasa, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia | Free |
| European Union (including code " EU") | Free | |
| DCTS Enhanced | Algeria, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Congo - Brazzaville and 13 moreAlgeria, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Congo - Brazzaville, Cook Islands, Kyrgyzstan, Micronesia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Niue, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu | Free |
| CARIFORUM | Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize and 10 moreAntigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago | Free |
| OCTs (Overseas Countries and Territories) | Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands and 7 moreAnguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands, St Helena, Turks & Caicos Islands | Free |
| Central America | Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama | Free |
| SADC EPA | Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia | Free |
| Eastern and Southern Africa States | Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe | Free |
| CPTPP | Brunei, Malaysia | Free |
| UK–Andorra agreement | Andorra | Free |
| UK–Albania agreement | Albania | Free |
| UK–Australia agreement | Australia | Free |
| UK–Canada agreement | Canada | Free |
| UK–Switzerland agreement | Switzerland | Free |
| UK–Côte d’Ivoire agreement | Côte d’Ivoire | Free |
| UK–Chile agreement | Chile | Free |
| UK–Cameroon agreement | Cameroon | Free |
| UK–Colombia agreement | Colombia | Free |
| UK–Ceuta & Melilla agreement | Ceuta & Melilla | Free |
| UK–Ecuador agreement | Ecuador | Free |
| UK–Egypt agreement | Egypt | Free |
| UK–Fiji agreement | Fiji | Free |
| UK–Faroe Islands agreement | Faroe Islands | Free |
| UK–Georgia agreement | Georgia | Free |
| UK–Ghana agreement | Ghana | Free |
| DCTS Standard | Indonesia | Free |
| UK–Israel agreement | Israel | Free |
| UK–India agreement | India | Free |
| UK–Iceland agreement | Iceland | Free |
| UK–Jordan agreement | Jordan | Free |
| UK–Japan agreement | Japan | Free |
| UK–Kenya agreement | Kenya | Free |
| UK–South Korea agreement | South Korea | Free |
| UK–Lebanon agreement | Lebanon | Free |
| UK–Liechtenstein agreement | Liechtenstein | Free |
| UK–Morocco agreement | Morocco | Free |
| UK–Moldova agreement | Moldova | Free |
| UK–North Macedonia agreement | North Macedonia | Free |
| UK–Mexico agreement | Mexico | Free |
| UK–Norway agreement | Norway | Free |
| UK–New Zealand agreement | New Zealand | Free |
| UK–Peru agreement | Peru | Free |
| UK–Papua New Guinea agreement | Papua New Guinea | Free |
| UK–Palestinian Territories agreement | Palestinian Territories | Free |
| UK–Serbia agreement | Serbia | Free |
| UK–Solomon Islands agreement | Solomon Islands | Free |
| UK–Singapore agreement | Singapore | Free |
| UK–San Marino agreement | San Marino | Free |
| UK–Tunisia agreement | Tunisia | Free |
| UK–Türkiye agreement | Türkiye | Free |
| UK–Ukraine agreement | Ukraine | Free |
| UK–Vietnam agreement | Vietnam | Free |
| UK–Samoa agreement | Samoa | Free |
| UK–Kosovo agreement | Kosovo | Free |
| UK–South Africa agreement | South Africa | Free |
UK: imports by month
Main suppliers, last 12 months
| Country | Value | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
 China | £166k | 35.2% | -47.2% |
 Germany | £116k | 24.6% | +8,019.9% |
 Italy | £97k | 20.6% | +43.5% |
 India | £43k | 9.2% | -32.5% |
 United States | £18k | 3.9% | +141.2% |
 Egypt | £10k | 2.1% | +256.5% |
 Australia | £10k | 2.1% | +987.2% |
 France | £3k | 0.6% | -26.5% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EUWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$19kUS$19k+US$288k+US$794k+> US$5m
Exports: 98
- China: US$17m
- Italy: US$7m
- India: US$5m
- Honduras: US$4m
- Egypt: US$4m
- Costa Rica: US$3m
- Guatemala: US$3m
- Pakistan: US$1m
- United States: US$974k
- Germany: US$794k
- Türkiye: US$792k
- Portugal: US$664k
- Dominican Republic: US$628k
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$609k
- Spain: US$581k
- Japan: US$576k
- Czechia: US$548k
- Netherlands: US$493k
- Romania: US$464k
- South Korea: US$437k
- Taiwan: US$417k
- Greece: US$367k
- United Kingdom: US$288k
- France: US$256k
- South Africa: US$243k
- Thailand: US$198k
- Peru: US$195k
- El Salvador: US$181k
- Vietnam: US$147k
- Brazil: US$141k
- Bulgaria: US$135k
- Poland: US$133k
- Hungary: US$112k
- Denmark: US$69k
- Mexico: US$56k
- Malaysia: US$52k
- Sri Lanka: US$49k
- Singapore: US$32k
- Switzerland: US$28k
- Canada: US$27k
- Indonesia: US$26k
- Uganda: US$25k
- Colombia: US$23k
- Bangladesh: US$22k
- United Arab Emirates: US$20k
- Serbia: US$19k
- Sweden: US$18k
- Slovakia: US$18k
- Lithuania: US$16k
- Argentina: US$14k
- Mauritius: US$14k
- Nepal: US$10k
- Belgium: US$8k
- Australia: US$8k
- New Zealand: US$6k
- Oman: US$6k
- Estonia: US$6k
- Cambodia: US$5k
- Austria: US$5k
- Tanzania: US$4k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$63kUS$63k+US$242k+US$789k+> US$2m
Imports: 178
- United States: US$6m
- Vietnam: US$5m
- Costa Rica: US$4m
- Honduras: US$3m
- Italy: US$2m
- Guatemala: US$2m
- Romania: US$2m
- Germany: US$1m
- Türkiye: US$1m
- El Salvador: US$1m
- Nigeria: US$1m
- Bangladesh: US$1m
- Dominican Republic: US$1m
- Myanmar (Burma): US$991k
- France: US$958k
- Cambodia: US$852k
- Morocco: US$799k
- Malaysia: US$789k
- Canada: US$784k
- United Kingdom: US$751k
- Thailand: US$643k
- Philippines: US$642k
- Haiti: US$625k
- Spain: US$613k
- Albania: US$582k
- Tunisia: US$566k
- Mexico: US$555k
- Ecuador: US$506k
- Sri Lanka: US$494k
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$464k
- Poland: US$423k
- United Arab Emirates: US$411k
- Portugal: US$402k
- Indonesia: US$385k
- Egypt: US$367k
- Angola: US$359k
- Kenya: US$288k
- Colombia: US$270k
- Iraq: US$267k
- Saudi Arabia: US$263k
- Burkina Faso: US$256k
- Netherlands: US$246k
- China: US$242k
- India: US$231k
- South Korea: US$226k
- Kazakhstan: US$223k
- Peru: US$216k
- Ghana: US$212k
- Bulgaria: US$211k
- Tajikistan: US$206k
- Greece: US$201k
- Israel: US$194k
- Laos: US$194k
- Ukraine: US$184k
- North Korea: US$177k
- Belarus: US$171k
- Belgium: US$170k
- Australia: US$168k
- Serbia: US$165k
- Congo - Kinshasa: US$157k
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | US$17m | 32.3% |
| 2 | Italy | US$7m | 12.2% |
| 3 | India | US$5m | 8.5% |
| 4 |  Honduras | US$4m | 7.5% |
| 5 | Egypt | US$4m | 6.8% |
| 6 |  Costa Rica | US$3m | 5% |
| 7 |  Guatemala | US$3m | 4.7% |
| 8 |  Pakistan | US$1m | 2.7% |
| 9 | United States | US$974k | 1.8% |
| 10 | Germany | US$794k | 1.5% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$6m | 11.7% |
| 2 |  Vietnam | US$5m | 9.6% |
| 3 | Costa Rica | US$4m | 7.1% |
| 4 | Honduras | US$3m | 4.8% |
| 5 | Italy | US$2m | 4.6% |
| 6 | Guatemala | US$2m | 3.1% |
| 7 |  Romania | US$2m | 3.1% |
| 8 | Germany | US$1m | 2.5% |
| 9 |  Türkiye | US$1m | 2.4% |
| 10 |  El Salvador | US$1m | 2.4% |
Subheading 5204.11 is a single line in the UK Global Tariff, where the duty is duty-free.
The EU Combined Nomenclature has one tariff line for subheading 5204.11; the duty is 4%.
Goods from 174 countries can enter the UK at a preferential rate instead of the standard Free; 174 of them pay no duty at all, for example under DCTS Comprehensive or European Union.
In the 12 months to August 2026, the UK imported these goods worth £471.2k (down 19% on the year before), at an average of £10.45 per kg; China supplied 35%, followed by Germany.
World trade in these goods reached US$54m in 2024, up 9.5% on 2023.
China was the largest exporter with 32.3% of the total, ahead of Italy.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for containing 85 % or more by weight of cotton?
Containing 85 % or more by weight of cotton fall under HS subheading 5204.11, part of heading 5204, in section XI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on containing 85 % or more by weight of cotton in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 5204.11 from countries without a preferential agreement are free of duty. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on containing 85 % or more by weight of cotton in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 5204.11 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 4%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most containing 85 % or more by weight of cotton?
China, with US$17m in 2024 (32.3% of world exports).
Which countries can export these goods to the UK duty-free?
174 countries pay no duty under a trade agreement or preference scheme, among them partners under DCTS Comprehensive, European Union, DCTS Enhanced. The goods must meet the agreement’s rules of origin and the importer needs proof of origin; otherwise the standard rate of Free applies. Pick a country above to see its rate.
Where does the UK import these goods from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were China (35%), Germany (25%) and Italy (21%), out of total imports of £471.2k.