Chapter
Chapter 53: Other vegetable textile fibres; paper yarn and woven fabrics of paper yarn
Chapter 53 of the Harmonized System has 10 headings and belongs to section XI (textiles and textile articles).
Duty rates compared
UK Free – 8% Third-country duty 38 tariff lines · average 1.1% 
EU Free – 8% Third-country duty 34 tariff lines · average 3.4% 
Türkiye Free – 8% Third-country duty 49 tariff lines · average 2.6% 
USA Free – 14.5% General (MFN) 31 tariff lines · average 2% · 1× specific or compound duty 
Canada Free General (MFN) 23 tariff lines 
Mexico Free – 30% General (MFN) 28 tariff lines · average 12.5% 
Brazil 5.4% – 26% General (MFN) 31 tariff lines · average 14.6% 
Argentina 5.4% – 18% General (MFN) 116 tariff lines · average 15.8% 
Peru Free – 11% General (MFN) 30 tariff lines · average 0.6% 
New Zealand Free General (MFN) 44 tariff lines 
Japan Free – 10% General (MFN) 28 tariff lines · average 3.4% 
Taiwan Free – 5% General (MFN) 31 tariff lines · average 2.4% 
GCC 5% General (MFN) 60 tariff lines 
Switzerland Free General (MFN) 23 tariff lines 
Norway Free General (MFN) 24 tariff lines 
North Macedonia Free General (MFN) 34 tariff lines 
Nigeria 5% – 20% General (MFN) 24 tariff lines · average 9.8% Headings 10
- 5301Flax, raw or processed but not spun; flax tow and waste (including yarn waste and garnetted stock)
- 5302True hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), raw or processed but not spun; tow and waste of true hemp (including yarn waste and garnetted stock)
- 5303Jute and other textile bast fibres (excluding flax, true hemp and ramie), raw or processed but not spun; tow and waste of these fibres (including yarn waste and garnetted stock)
- 5305Coconut, abaca (Manila hemp or Musa textilis Nee), ramie and other vegetable textile fibres, not elsewhere specified or included, raw or processed but not spun; tow, noils and waste of these fibres (including yarn waste and garnetted stock)
- 5306Flax yarn
- 5307Yarn of jute or of other textile bast fibres of heading 5303
- 5308Yarn of other vegetable textile fibres; paper yarn
- 5309Woven fabrics of flax
- 5310Woven fabrics of jute or of other textile bast fibres of heading 5303
- 5311Woven fabrics of other vegetable textile fibres; woven fabrics of paper yarn
EU: imports by month
World trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$297kUS$297k+US$6m+US$57m+> US$455m
Exports: 163
- China: US$1.9bn
- France: US$1.1bn
- Bangladesh: US$614m
- India: US$490m
- Belgium: US$455m
- Italy: US$353m
- Sri Lanka: US$177m
- Egypt: US$166m
- Spain: US$106m
- Belarus: US$104m
- Netherlands: US$95m
- Lithuania: US$88m
- Türkiye: US$71m
- Kenya: US$63m
- United Kingdom: US$59m
- Portugal: US$57m
- Brazil: US$47m
- Ethiopia: US$46m
- Tanzania: US$44m
- Germany: US$44m
- Vietnam: US$41m
- Poland: US$38m
- Nepal: US$38m
- Tunisia: US$34m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$29m
- Japan: US$27m
- Russia: US$26m
- Philippines: US$24m
- Ecuador: US$22m
- Thailand: US$18m
- United States: US$16m
- Czechia: US$14m
- Pakistan: US$14m
- Latvia: US$13m
- Switzerland: US$10m
- South Korea: US$9m
- South Africa: US$7m
- Austria: US$7m
- Taiwan: US$7m
- Indonesia: US$6m
- Estonia: US$6m
- Madagascar: US$6m
- Romania: US$6m
- Ireland: US$6m
- Denmark: US$5m
- Canada: US$5m
- Bulgaria: US$5m
- Sweden: US$4m
- Slovenia: US$4m
- Hungary: US$3m
- Morocco: US$3m
- Malaysia: US$3m
- Mozambique: US$3m
- Finland: US$3m
- Uganda: US$2m
- Mexico: US$2m
- Lesotho: US$2m
- Greece: US$2m
- Costa Rica: US$2m
- Cambodia: US$2m
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$1mUS$1m+US$12m+US$61m+> US$276m
Imports: 210
- China: US$1.2bn
- India: US$632m
- Bangladesh: US$601m
- Belgium: US$338m
- Türkiye: US$303m
- Vietnam: US$286m
- United States: US$276m
- Italy: US$239m
- Morocco: US$227m
- Spain: US$194m
- Indonesia: US$162m
- France: US$135m
- Netherlands: US$131m
- United Kingdom: US$125m
- Portugal: US$104m
- Germany: US$99m
- Cambodia: US$85m
- Brazil: US$68m
- Lithuania: US$68m
- Japan: US$68m
- South Korea: US$61m
- Egypt: US$56m
- Tunisia: US$52m
- Nigeria: US$50m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$49m
- Poland: US$44m
- Sri Lanka: US$41m
- Mexico: US$41m
- Pakistan: US$41m
- Canada: US$36m
- Australia: US$36m
- Uzbekistan: US$34m
- Myanmar (Burma): US$33m
- United Arab Emirates: US$28m
- Saudi Arabia: US$26m
- Philippines: US$26m
- Czechia: US$25m
- Djibouti: US$24m
- Romania: US$24m
- Colombia: US$20m
- Peru: US$19m
- South Africa: US$18m
- Thailand: US$18m
- Russia: US$17m
- Switzerland: US$17m
- Austria: US$16m
- Nepal: US$15m
- Ukraine: US$14m
- Denmark: US$14m
- Côte d’Ivoire: US$13m
- Bulgaria: US$13m
- Greece: US$12m
- Latvia: US$12m
- Ethiopia: US$11m
- New Zealand: US$11m
- Israel: US$10m
- Sweden: US$10m
- Slovenia: US$8m
- Estonia: US$8m
- North Macedonia: US$8m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  China | US$1.9bn | 28.4% |
| 2 |  France | US$1.1bn | 17% |
| 3 |  Bangladesh | US$614m | 9.4% |
| 4 |  India | US$490m | 7.5% |
| 5 |  Belgium | US$455m | 7% |
| 6 |  Italy | US$353m | 5.4% |
| 7 |  Sri Lanka | US$177m | 2.7% |
| 8 |  Egypt | US$166m | 2.5% |
| 9 |  Spain | US$106m | 1.6% |
| 10 |  Belarus | US$104m | 1.6% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | US$1.2bn | 18.1% |
| 2 | India | US$632m | 9.7% |
| 3 | Bangladesh | US$601m | 9.2% |
| 4 | Belgium | US$338m | 5.2% |
| 5 | Türkiye | US$303m | 4.6% |
| 6 |  Vietnam | US$286m | 4.4% |
| 7 | United States | US$276m | 4.2% |
| 8 | Italy | US$239m | 3.7% |
| 9 |  Morocco | US$227m | 3.5% |
| 10 | Spain | US$194m | 3% |
The UK Global Tariff divides chapter 53 into 38 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 8% (average 1.1%). 32 of them are duty-free.
In the EU Combined Nomenclature, chapter 53 covers 34 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 8%. 12 of them are duty-free.
The Turkish Customs Tariff Schedule divides chapter 53 into 49 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 8% (average 2.6%). 25 of them are duty-free.
In 2024, countries exported chapter 53 goods worth US$6.5bn (+10% year on year).
The largest exporter was China (US$1.9bn), followed by France.
The biggest buyer was China, with imports of US$1.2bn.
Chapter notes
Additional note
1.
(A) For the purposes of subheadings 53061090, 53062090 and 53082090, the expression ‘put up for retail sale’ in relation to yarn (single, multiple or cabled) means, subject to the exceptions in paragraph (B) below, yarn put up:
(a) in balls or on cards, reels, tubes or similar supports, of a weight (including support) not exceeding 200 grams;
(b) in hanks or skeins of a weight not exceeding 125 grams;
(c) in hanks or skeins comprising several smaller hanks or skeins separated by dividing threads which render them independent one of the other, each of uniform weight not exceeding 125 grams.
(B) Exceptions:
(a) multiple or cabled yarn, unbleached, in hanks or skeins;
(b) multiple or cabled yarn, put up:
(1) in cross-reeled hanks or skeins; or
(2) put up on supports or in some other manner indicating its use in the textile industry (for example, on cops, twisting mill tubes, pirns, conical bobbins or spindles, or reeled in the form of cocoons for embroidery looms).
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for other vegetable textile fibres; paper yarn and woven fabrics of paper yarn?
Other vegetable textile fibres; paper yarn and woven fabrics of paper yarn make up HS chapter 53, in section XI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on other vegetable textile fibres in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 53 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 0% to 8%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on other vegetable textile fibres in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 53 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 0% to 8%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most other vegetable textile fibres?
China, with US$1.9bn in 2024 (28.4% of world exports).