Heading · Chapter 55
5502: Artificial filament tow
Heading 5502 is divided into 2 six-digit subheadings and sits in chapter 55, man-made staple fibres.
Duty rates compared
UK
EUSubheadings 2
EU: imports by month
World trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$777.9kUS$777.9k+US$6.9m+US$93.7m+> US$376.4m
Exports: 70
- United States: US$879m
- Japan: US$518m
- Germany: US$376.4m
- Belgium: US$269m
- China: US$121m
- Poland: US$108.6m
- South Korea: US$93.7m
- Netherlands: US$81.3m
- Czechia: US$51.2m
- Brazil: US$40.8m
- Singapore: US$38.4m
- Switzerland: US$16.2m
- Türkiye: US$11.5m
- Kyrgyzstan: US$8m
- France: US$7.3m
- Philippines: US$7.3m
- Italy: US$7.1m
- South Africa: US$6.9m
- Russia: US$5.8m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$5.6m
- Indonesia: US$4.5m
- Thailand: US$4.4m
- Vietnam: US$3.8m
- Bulgaria: US$3.8m
- Taiwan: US$3m
- United Kingdom: US$2.7m
- Malaysia: US$2.4m
- Uganda: US$2.3m
- United Arab Emirates: US$2.3m
- Romania: US$2.1m
- Hungary: US$1.4m
- India: US$1.2m
- Nigeria: US$1.2m
- Côte d’Ivoire: US$940.9k
- Lithuania: US$777.9k
- Serbia: US$719.3k
- Chile: US$668.1k
- Croatia: US$657.3k
- Latvia: US$576.6k
- Spain: US$516.9k
- Egypt: US$513.9k
- Greece: US$453.9k
- Ukraine: US$375.6k
- Luxembourg: US$342k
- Austria: US$321.1k
- Burundi: US$294.6k
- Mexico: US$270.7k
- Estonia: US$236.9k
- Zimbabwe: US$175.6k
- Georgia: US$141.5k
- Dominican Republic: US$108.6k
- Uruguay: US$97k
- Cyprus: US$47.1k
- Sweden: US$43.5k
- Pakistan: US$30.8k
- Portugal: US$23.9k
- Tanzania: US$22.6k
- Kazakhstan: US$17.2k
- Canada: US$4.2k
- Ethiopia: US$3k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$2.9mUS$2.9m+US$24.2m+US$61m+> US$133.5m
Imports: 126
- Indonesia: US$343.4m
- Poland: US$199.9m
- Türkiye: US$186.5m
- United Arab Emirates: US$133.5m
- Egypt: US$116.2m
- Czechia: US$106.4m
- South Korea: US$105.9m
- Vietnam: US$99.6m
- Germany: US$88.7m
- India: US$88.1m
- Romania: US$83.9m
- South Africa: US$71.6m
- Belgium: US$61m
- Philippines: US$57.9m
- Lithuania: US$57.9m
- Greece: US$56m
- Italy: US$55.2m
- Bulgaria: US$40.8m
- Ukraine: US$39.6m
- Singapore: US$38.5m
- Thailand: US$37.3m
- Paraguay: US$33.6m
- Hungary: US$33.4m
- Bangladesh: US$29.6m
- Mexico: US$29.2m
- Netherlands: US$27.2m
- Nigeria: US$25.4m
- Canada: US$24.7m
- Taiwan: US$24.4m
- Serbia: US$24.4m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$24.2m
- Argentina: US$23.9m
- Portugal: US$23.4m
- Tunisia: US$17.7m
- Russia: US$17.6m
- Austria: US$16.7m
- Pakistan: US$15.9m
- Switzerland: US$15.8m
- Kazakhstan: US$15.6m
- Armenia: US$14.1m
- France: US$13.7m
- Spain: US$13.5m
- Algeria: US$12.3m
- China: US$12m
- Kenya: US$11.9m
- Tanzania: US$9.9m
- Cambodia: US$7.4m
- Côte d’Ivoire: US$7.3m
- Chile: US$6.3m
- Uzbekistan: US$6.2m
- Croatia: US$6.2m
- Zimbabwe: US$5.3m
- Uganda: US$5.3m
- Iran: US$5.3m
- Morocco: US$5.2m
- Brazil: US$5m
- Nepal: US$4.9m
- Slovakia: US$4.6m
- Burkina Faso: US$3.1m
- United States: US$3m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States | US$879m | 32.6% |
| 2 |  Japan | US$518m | 19.2% |
| 3 |  Germany | US$376.4m | 14% |
| 4 |  Belgium | US$269m | 10% |
| 5 |  China | US$121m | 4.5% |
| 6 |  Poland | US$108.6m | 4% |
| 7 |  South Korea | US$93.7m | 3.5% |
| 8 |  Netherlands | US$81.3m | 3% |
| 9 |  Czechia | US$51.2m | 1.9% |
| 10 |  Brazil | US$40.8m | 1.5% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Indonesia | US$343.4m | 12.7% |
| 2 | Poland | US$199.9m | 7.4% |
| 3 |  Türkiye | US$186.5m | 6.9% |
| 4 |  United Arab Emirates | US$133.5m | 5% |
| 5 |  Egypt | US$116.2m | 4.3% |
| 6 | Czechia | US$106.4m | 3.9% |
| 7 | South Korea | US$105.9m | 3.9% |
| 8 |  Vietnam | US$99.6m | 3.7% |
| 9 | Germany | US$88.7m | 3.3% |
| 10 |  India | US$88.1m | 3.3% |
The UK Global Tariff divides heading 5502 into 2 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the EU Combined Nomenclature, heading 5502 covers 2 tariff lines and the duty is 4%.
The Turkish Customs Tariff Schedule divides heading 5502 into 2 tariff lines; the duty is 4%.
In the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, heading 5502 covers 2 tariff lines and the duty is 7.5%.
In 2024, countries exported heading 5502 goods worth US$2.7bn (−13.1% year on year).
The largest exporter was the United States (US$879m), followed by Japan.
The biggest buyer was Indonesia, with imports of US$343.4m.
The United Kingdom ranked 26th among 70 exporters with US$2.7m.
The United Kingdom imported US$812.9k.
Legal notes
Note
1. Headings 5501 and 5502 apply only to man-made filament tow, consisting of parallel filaments of a uniform length equal to the length of the tow, meeting the following specifications:
(a) length of tow exceeding 2 m;
(b) twist less than five turns per metre;
(c) measuring per filament less than 67 decitex;
(d) synthetic filament tow only: the tow must be drawn, that is to say, be incapable of being stretched by more than 100 % of its length;
(e) total measurement of tow more than 20000 decitex.
Tow of a length not exceeding 2 m is to be classified in heading 5503 or 5504.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for artificial filament tow?
Artificial filament tow fall under HS heading 5502, part of chapter 55, in section XI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on artificial filament tow in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 5502 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 artificial filament tow in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 5502 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 artificial filament tow?
The United States, with US$879m in 2024 (32.6% of world exports).