From 2020 to 2024, the United States, Taiwan of China, and Japan have consistently held the most important positions as PVC powder import trade partners, with little overall change in trade partners. In 2020, due to the import arbitrage window remaining open, the volume of general trade imports was high, and imports from other countries accounted for a certain proportion, with the shares of resources from the United States, Taiwan of China, and Japan being relatively lower, but together they still accounted for more than 60% of the total share. In 2021, the United States saw a significant reduction in PVC powder output due to force majeure affecting its units, resulting in a noticeable decrease in its share of the total import volume. However, the supply from Taiwan of China and Japan compensated for this shortfall, with the combined import share of resources from the United States, Taiwan of China, and Japan exceeding 80%. In the following years from 2022 to 2024, China’s import volume decreased, and the resources from the United States, Taiwan of China, and Japan continued to be imported through processing trade with imported materials, with the combined import share of these three regions exceeding 85% over the three years. With a further reduction in general trade import volume expected by 2024, it is projected that the combined import share of the United States, Taiwan of China, and Japan will possibly reach over 95%.

In 2024, China’s PVC powder import volume kept falling, and the major origins were the U.S., Taiwan of China, and Japan. The proportion of import volume from the U.S. decreased YoY mainly because the import arbitrage window remained closed throughout the year. Other import origins included Indonesia, South Korea, and some European countries, but the import volume was relatively low.

2020-2024 China PVC Powder Import Structure by Origin