By Yan Feng
This text illustrates the import and export statistics of China’s polyvinyl chloride (PVC) between 2018 and 2022, including paste resin, other pure PVC, unplasticized and plasticized PVC which are all in primary shape, according to China customs data.
Import analysis
China’s PVC imports from 2018 to 2022 reduced and then increased, but declined by years later, with the imports of 937 900 tons in 2018, hitting a new high of 1 189 900 tons in 2020. Following that, due to high prices caused by a decrease in international supply, and growing supply contributed by steady demand domestically, the imports in 2022 dropped 8.84% year-on-year to 511 300 tons, and the imports value in 2022 dropped 19.71% year-on-year to US$709 057 000.
The imports and exports of China’s PVC between 2018 and 2022 are shown in Table 1.
1. The sources of import
In 2018, China’s PVC imports, from the US, Taiwan of China, Japan, South Korea and Germany, were 801 400 tons which accounted for 85.45% of overall imports. And the imports from the above 5 sources decreased 3.88% year-on-year to 419 000 tons in 2022, holding 81.95% of overall imports. The key import sources of China’s PVC in 2022 are shown in Table 2.
2. The import destinations
China’s three biggest PVC import destinations were Guangdong, Jiangsu and Fujian provinces between 2018 and 2022, importing a combined volume of 379 500 tons in 2022, down 6.50% year-on-year and accounting for 74.22% of overall imports.
3. Import trade way
China’s PVC import was primarily dealt by general trade and processing with imported material between 2018 and 2022, with imports through the two ways dropping 9.38% year-on-year to 484 800 tons in 2022, accounting for 94.82% of overall imports.
China’s PVC imports by the processing with imported material declined by years between 2018 and 2022, reaching 342 900 tons in 2022, dropping 5.59% year-on-year and representing 67.06% of overall imports.
China’s PVC imports by general trade increased and decreased yearly between 2018 and 2022. Aside from being the most common trade way in 2020, general trade was the second commonest method in other years, of which the imports in 2018 were 124 200 tons, holding 13.24% of total imports. The imports in 2022 fell 17.40% year-on-year to 141 900 tons.
Export analysis
China’s PVC exports declined and rose by years from 2018 to 2022. The exports in 2018 were 774 200 tons, and fell 7.76% year-on-year to the lowest point of 714 100 tons in 2019. And the exports surged 143.43% year-on-year to 2 094 000 tons. The exports in 2022 were 2 404 500 tons, up 14.82% year-on-year. The exports value in 2018 was US$749 200 100 and US$3 149 988 300 in 2022, going up 10.92% year-on-year.
1. Export destinations
China PVC export destinations varied much between 2018 and 2022, with exports from India, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Thailand totalling 444 500 tons in 2018, accounting for 57.41% of overall exports. And in 2022, PVC exported to India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Russia, Turkey and Egypt increased 40.41% year-on-year to 1 393 100 tons, accounting for 57.94% of overall exports. China’s PVC major export destinations from 2018 to 2022 are shown in Table 3.
2. The export sources
China’s PVC export sources in 2018 were mainly in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Tianjin city, Zhejiang, Shandong and Guangdong provinces, with the total exports of 669 100 tons, accounting for 86.42% of overall exports. In 2022, 1 799 200 tons of PVC were exported from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Zhejiang and Shandong provinces, Tianjin city and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, up 14.62% year-on-year from 1 569 700 tons in 2021, representing 74.83% of total exports.
3. Export trade
China’s PVC exports were motivated by general trade and processing with imported material from 2017 to 2021. The exports via the two ways increased 148.89% year-on-year to 2 043 600 tons in 2021, accounting for 97.59% of overall exports.
General trade was the commonest export way for China’s PVC, with the exports declining and rising by years from 2017 to 2021, of which the exports in 2021 rose 149.13% year-on-year to 1 663 200 tons, holding 79.43% of total exports.
Conclusion
China’s PVC imports, mainly from the US, Taiwan of China, Japan and South Korea, fell, went up, and then fell again from 2018 to 2022. And the import destinations were focused on Guangdong, Jiangsu and Fujian provinces, with general trade and processing with imported material as main trading modes.
China’s PVC exports declined first, and then increased by years from 2018 to 2022. The products were mainly sold to India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Vietnam and Russia. And the exported PVC was from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia, Tianjin city, Shandong, Zhejiang, and Guangdong provinces, mainly dealt by general trade and processing with imported material.
As several enterprises set up or expanded PVC production equipment, including Inner Mongolia Yihua Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Dezhou Shihua Chemical Co., Ltd., Tianjin Dagu Chemical Co., Ltd., Sinopec Qilu Petrochemical Co., Ltd., Cangzhou Jvlong Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Qingdao Haiwan Group Co., Ltd., Guangxi Huayi Chlor-alkali Chemical Co., Ltd., Shanxi Jintai Chlor-alkali Chemical Co., Ltd., China’s PVC production capability and supply will keep increasing in the future. With more advanced technology, China will also strengthen PVC new product development. And China’s PVC imports are projected to fall over the next 2 years, while exports will rise. But the imports and exports will not change much generally.
