Yan Feng

China has become the world's largest producer of PVC. In 2020, China's PVC production capacity has exceeded 26 million tons. Due to the serious homogeneity of products, high-end products still need to be imported. At the same time, the PVC products are also exported for a certain amount.

According to customs statistics, China’s PVC products are under 4 tariff numbers: paste resins in primary forms (39041010), pure PVC in other primary forms, without other substances (herein referred to as pure PVC in other primary forms, 39041090), unplasticized PVC in primary forms (39042100), and unplasticized PVC in primary forms (39042200). The following analyzes the import and export situation of China's PVC and various products in 2020.

Imports: an increase of 36% year-on-year, with the United States as the largest importer 

In 2020, China's imports of PVC was 1 189 900 tons, a year-on-year increase of approximately 36.11%. Among them, the import volume of paste resin in the primary forms was 128 600 tons, accounting for about 10.81% of the total import volume, an increase of 49.02% year-on-year; the import volume of other primary forms of pure PVC was 951 300 tons, accounting for about 79.95% of the total import volume, an increase of about  42.99% year-on-year. The import volume of unplasticized PVC in primary forms was 19 200 tons, accounting for about 1.61% of the total import volume, a year-on-year decrease of 18.30%; the import volume of primary forms of plasticized PVC was 90 800 tons, accounting for about 7.63% of the total import volume, a year-on-year decrease of 8.38%.

In 2020, China's PVC imports mainly come from the United States, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand and India. The total imports reached 946 500 tons, accounting for about 79.54% of the total imports, an year-on-year increase of about 27.65%. Among them, imports from Indonesia were 57 300 tons, accounting for about 4.82% of total imports, an increase of 79.62% year-on-year; imports from Japan were 148 600 tons, accounting for about 12.49% of total imports, an increase of about 40.85% year-on-year; imports from the United States were 266 400 tons, accounting for about 22.39% of total imports, a year-on-year decrease of about 17.04%; imports from China Taiwan were 256 600 tons, accounting for about 21.56% of total imports, an year-on-year increase of 12.74 %; imports from South Korea were 86 600 tons, accounting for about 7.28% of total imports, an year-on-year increase of about 324.51%; imports from Thailand were 58 100 tons, accounting for about 4.88% of total imports, a year-on-year increase of 31.45 %; the import volume from India was 72 900 tons, accounting for about 6.13% of the total import volume, an increase of about 531 366.88% year-on-year.

In 2020, China's primary form paste resin imports mainly come from Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, China Taiwan and Germany. The total import volume reached 107 700 tons, accounting for about 83.75% of the total import volume, an year-on-year increase of about 51.05%. The imports of other primary forms of pure PVC were mainly from the United States, China Taiwan, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Mexico. The total import volume reached 851 100 tons, accounting for about 89.47% of the total import volume, an year-on-year increase of about 32.94%. Imports of unplasticized PVC in primary forms were mainly from Japan, Malaysia, China Taiwan, Germany and the United States. The total import volume reached 17 500 tons, accounting for about 91.15% of the total import volume, a year-on-year decrease of approximately 20.45%. The imports of primary forms of plasticized PVC were mainly from China Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, China Taiwan, Germany and the United States. The total import volume reached 71 500 tons, accounting for approximately 78.74% of total imports, a year-on-year decrease of 6.78%.

In 2020, China's PVC imports mainly concentrated in six provinces and municipalities of Shandong, Guangdong, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian. The total import volume will reached 1.1 236 million tons, accounting for about 94.43% of the total import volume, an year-on-year increase of about 36.81%.

Among them, in 2020, China's imports of paste resins in primary forms mainly concentrated in five provinces and municipalities of Shandong, Guangdong, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Hebei. The total import volume reached 118 000 tons, accounting for about 91.76% of the total import volume, an year-on-year increase of about 47.50%. Imports of other primary forms of pure PVC mainly concentrated in the five provinces and municipalities of Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong. The total import volume reached 909 300 tons, accounting for about 95.58% of the total import volume, an year-on-year increase of about 44.79%. 

Imports of unplasticized PVC in primary forms mainly concentrated in four provinces and municipalities of Hebei, Guangdong, Shanghai and Jiangsu.The total import volume reached 17 700 tons, accounting for about 92.19% of the total import volume, a year-on-year decrease of about 15.71%. The imports of primary forms of plasticized PVC mainly concentrated in six provinces and municipalities of Guangdong, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian and Shandong. The total import volume reached 82 200 tons, accounting for about 90.53% of the total import volume, a year-on-year decrease of about 9.17%.

In 2020, China's PVC imports were mainly based on two trade methods, general trade and feeding processing trade. The total import volume reached 1.158 million tons, accounting for about 97.39% of the total import volume, an year-on-year increase of about 37.90%. Among them, the import volume of the general trade method was 602 400 tons, accounting for about 50.63% of the total import volume, an year-on-year increase of about 218.90%; the import volume of feeding processing trade was 556 400 tons, accounting for about  46.76% of the total import volume, a year-on-year decrease of approximately 14.57%.

Exports: mainly in Bangladesh

In 2020, China's exports volume of PVC were 860 200 tons, an increase of approximately 20.54% year-on-year. Among them, the export volume of primary form paste resin was 24 600 tons, accounting for about 2.86% of the total export volume, down about 40.15% year-on-year; the export volume of other primary forms of pure PVC was 628 800 tons, accounting for about 73.10% of the total export volume, an increase of about 23.90%  year-on-year; the export volume of unplasticized PVC in primary forms was 53 500 tons, accounting for about 6.22% of the total export volume, an increase of 5.31%; the export volume of plasticized PVC in primary forms was 153 200 tons, accounting for about 17.81% of the total export volume, an year-on-year increase of about 34.15%.

In 2020, China’s PVC mainly exported to Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.The total export volume reached 431 100 tons, accounting for about 50.12% of the total export volume, an year-on-year increase of approximately 3.90%. Among them, the export volume to Bangladesh was 64 100 tons, accounting for about  7.45% of the total export volume, an year-on-year increase of about 65.21%; the export volume to India was 57 300 tons, accounting for about 6.66% of the total export volume, a year-on-year decrease of about  41.29 %; the export volume to Malaysia was 58 800 tons, accounting for about 6.84% of the total export volume, down about 3.92% year-on-year; the export volume to Thailand was 46 800 tons, accounting for about 5.44% of the total export volume, an increase of about 73.98% year-on-year; exports to Vietnam were 85 500 tons, accounting for about  9.94% of total exports, an increase of about 107.02%; exports to Kazakhstan was 46 600 tons, accounting for about 5.42% of total exports, a year-on-year decrease of about 13.06%; the export volume to Uzbekistan was 72 000 tons, accounting for about 8.37% of the total export volume, a year-on-year decrease of about 24.61%.

In 2020, China's PVC exports were mainly concentrated in seven provinces and municipalities of Fujian, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Xinjiang, Tianjin, Inner Mongolia and Shandong. The total export volume reached 743 400 tons, accounting for about 86.42% of the total export volume, an year-on-year increase of about 19.77%. Among them, the export volume of Fujian Province was 48 800 tons, accounting for about 5.67% of the total export volume, an year-on-year increase of about 43.95%; the export volume of Zhejiang Province was 91 100 tons, accounting for about 10.59% of the total export volume, an increase of about 119.52% year-on-year ; the export volume of Guangdong Province was 65 500 tons, accounting for about 7.61% of the total export volume, an increase of about 30.22%; the export volume of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was 280 700 tons, accounting for about  32.63% of the total export volume, a year-on-year decrease of about 15.15 %; Tianjin’s export volume was 118 300 tons, accounting for about 13.75% of total exports, an increase of about 9.03% year-on-year; the export volume of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region was 44 900 tons, accounting for about  5.22% of total exports, an increase of about 248.06% year-on-year; Shandong Province’s export volume was 94 200 tons, accounting for 10.95% of the total export volume, an increase of  about 120.09% year-on-year.

In 2020, China's PVC exports were mainly based on two trading methods, general trade and import processing trade. The total export volume reached 821 100 tons, accounting for about 95.45% of the total export volume, an increase of about 19.96% year-on-year. Among them, the export volume of the general trade method was 667 600 tons, accounting for about 77.61% of the total export volume, an increase of about 21.34% year-on-year; the export volume of the import processing trade was 153 500 tons, accounting for about 17.84% of the total export volume, an year-on-year increase of about 14.38%.

Export volume is expected to increase to drive industry development

With the continuous innovation of production technology, China will continue to strengthen the development of new PVC products. It is expected that the import volume of high-end products will decrease in the future, while the import source country/region, import province, municipality and import trade pattern will not change much. At the same time, with the continuous improvement of product quality, the export volume will continue to increase. This is also one of the important ways for China's PVC industry to maintain steady development for a certain period of time in the future.