According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics and the General Administration of Customs, China's plastic products industry completed production of 6.125 million tons in August 2026, down 7.9% year-on-year. For the January-August period, cumulative output reached 48.37 million tons, representing a decline of 3.5% compared with the same period in 2025.
Despite the contraction in production, export performance remained remarkably strong. August plastic products export value reached USD 9.90 billion, up 15.3% year-on-year. Cumulative exports for January-August totaled USD 77.80 billion, a year-on-year increase of 11.7%, with a trade surplus of USD 66.28 billion. This surplus accounted for 8.2% of China's total foreign trade surplus during the period.
The divergence between declining production and rising exports reflects a structural shift in the industry. Export growth is being driven by higher-value products and improved competitiveness in international markets, rather than volume expansion. Regional production data shows significant variation: Zhejiang province led with 1.132 million tons in August (up 0.5%), while Guangdong produced 1.008 million tons (down 11.1%). Shandong posted the strongest growth at 14.4%, reaching 546,000 tons.
The industry faces continued pressure from insufficient domestic demand and intensifying trade barriers. However, the resilience of exports demonstrates the competitive advantages of China's complete plastic products supply chain. For international buyers, this trend suggests that Chinese suppliers remain reliable partners, with growing capacity to meet higher specification requirements and compliance standards in export markets.