Overview This page contains the latest trade data of Plastics and Rubbers. In 2021, Plastics and Rubbers were the world's 6th most traded product, with a total trade of $1.02T. Between 2020 and 2021 the exports of Plastics and Rubbers grew by 30.1%, from $784B to $1.02T. Trade in Plastics and Rubbers represent 0.048% of total world trade.

Plastics and Rubbers include Rubber Tires, Ethylene Polymers, Other Plastic Products, Polyacetals, Raw Plastic Sheeting, Plastic Lids, Propylene Polymers, Other Plastic Sheetings, Styrene Polymers, and Other Rubber Products, among others.

Exports In 2021 the top exporters of Plastics and Rubbers  were China ($162B), Germany ($98.2B), United States ($87.3B), South Korea ($51.4B), and Japan ($41.5B).

Imports In 2021 the top importers of Plastics and Rubbers were United States ($122B), China ($89.9B), Germany ($68.8B), France ($37.3B), and Italy ($33.9B).

Tariffs In 2018 the average tariff for Plastics and Rubbers was 7.55%, making it the 14th lowest tariff using the Section product classification.

Ranking Plastics and Rubbers ranks 6th in the Product Complexity Index (PCI).

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Y-AXIS SCALE

The following visualization shows the latest trends on Plastics and Rubbers. Countries are shown based on data availability.

For a full breakdown of trade patterns, visit the trend explorer or the product in country profile.

* Using January 2020 exchange rates when trade data is reported in local currency.

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Historical Data

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Exporters and Importers

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Trade By Country

Top Origin (2021): China, $162B

Top Destination (2021): United States, $122B

Plastics and Rubbers are the world's 6th most traded product.

In 2021, the top exporters of Plastics and Rubbers were China ($162B), Germany ($98.2B), United States ($87.3B), South Korea ($51.4B), and Japan ($41.5B).

In 2021, the top importers of Plastics and Rubbers were United States ($122B), China ($89.9B), Germany ($68.8B), France ($37.3B), and Italy ($33.9B).

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Market Dynamics

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Trade by country

Color

Top Origin Growth (2020 -  2021): China, $42.1B

Top Destination Growth (2020 -  2021): United States, $31B

Between 2020 and 2021, the exports of Plastics and Rubbers grew the fastest in China ($42.1B), Germany ($20.1B), United States ($15.4B), South Korea ($13.5B), and Netherlands ($9.08B).

Between 2020 and 2021, the fastest growing importers of Plastics and Rubbers were United States ($31B), Germany ($15.1B), China ($12.3B), Italy ($10.3B), and Mexico ($8.79B).

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Market Concentration

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Cumulative market share

Value

This chart shows the evolution of the market concentration of exports of Plastics and Rubbers.

In 2021, market concentration measured using Shannon Entropy, was 4.94. This means that most of the exports of Plastics and Rubbers are explained by 30 countries.

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TOP NET EXPORTER (2021): China, $72.5B

TOP NET IMPORTER (2021): United States, $34.6B

This map shows which countries export or import more of Plastics and Rubbers. Each country is colored based on the difference in exports and imports of Plastics and Rubbers during 2021.

In 2021, the countries that had a largest trade value in exports than in imports of Plastics and Rubbers were China ($72.5B), South Korea ($34.8B), Germany ($29.4B), Thailand ($23.4B), and Chinese Taipei ($20.1B).

In 2021, the countries that had a largest trade value in imports than in exports of Plastics and Rubbers were United States ($34.6B), Mexico ($19.7B), United Kingdom ($12.7B), Australia ($10.5B), and India ($9.11B).

Disaggregation

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Value
Disaggregation

In 2021, the world most traded Plastics and Rubbers, disaggragated by their HS6 level were Other Plastic Products ($104B), Ethylene Polymers ($99B), Rubber Tires ($87.1B), Polyacetals ($77.1B), and Raw Plastic Sheeting ($71.3B)

Country Comparison

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Ranking

This visualization shows the countries that have an important ratio of their trade related to Plastics and Rubbers.
It is possible to select the main countries that export or import Plastics and Rubbers in the world, or by continent, as well as select the measure of interest.

Product Complexity

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Diversification Frontier

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Specialization

The Complexity-Relatedness diagram compares the risk and the strategic value of a product's potential export opportunities. Relatedness is predictive of the probability that a country increases its exports in a product. Complexity, is associated with higher levels of income, economic growth potential, lower income inequality, and lower emissions.