Stats: China’s H1 PP exports hit record high, gap with imports narrows to historic low

The first half of 2025 marked an exceptional performance for China’s PP exports, with volumes significantly exceeding those seen in the second half of last year. In contrast, PP imports continued to shrink, reaching the lowest level in more than 16 years.

The trend reflected the inevitable impact of China’s aggressive domestic capacity expansion, which has reshaped global PP trade flows, with traditional major suppliers to China now being forced to explore alternative export markets.

Exports reach all-time high

ChemOrbis Stats Wizard data shows that China exported more than 1.5 million tons of PP during H1 2025, breaking all half-year records to reach the highest volume since ChemOrbis started to gather stats in 2000. This represented a sharp increase of nearly 37% from H2 2024 and 24% from the same period last year.

In value terms, PP exports exceeded $1.6 million, also a record high, though Chinese sellers typically approached export destinations—especially nearby Vietnam—with competitive pricing.

Vietnam remained the largest buyer of Chinese-origin PP, holding a 17% market share—more than double that of Bangladesh, the second-largest export destination with 7.4%. Indonesia followed closely with a 6.4% share.

Imports drop to lowest since H2 2008

On the import side, H1 2025 volumes fell to their lowest since H2 2008, mainly driven by rapid growth in domestic production. Although imports still slightly outpaced exports, the difference narrowed to just 74,240 tons—the smallest gap on record.

The total import value was $1.8 million over the past six months, marking the lowest amount since H2 2008. South Korea continued to be the top supplier, accounting for 18% of total imports, followed by Singapore (17.4%) and the UAE (11%).

Exports quickly bridge gap with imports

ChemOrbis Stats Wizard data indicates that China has been steadily accelerating PP exports since late Q1 2024, despite some monthly fluctuations. Notably, the delta between imports and exports substantially reduced during H1 2025, with exports surpassing imports in the period from March to May.



This shift stems from China’s determined effort to become a net PP exporter through massive capacity additions. According to ChemOrbis Supply Wizard, the country brought online 3.25 million tons/year of PP capacity in 2024. In the first seven months of 2025 alone, it added 4.45 million tons/year, with another 3.7 million tons/year expected to start up before year-end.

Looking ahead to 2026, China plans to commission an additional 4.23 million tons/year of PP capacity. These aggressive expansions will further push the country to divert surplus supply to overseas markets and strengthen its influence in the global PP arena.

For detailed figures on tonnage and more, visit ChemOrbis Stats Wizard.