Preface: With the
global economic slowdown, the export volume of PVC flooring products, primarily
sold to Europe and the United States, decreased from 2022 to 2023, with a
slight recovery in 2024. Following Trump’s inauguration, the U.S. has cumulatively
raised tariffs on Chinese exports by 20%, which will further impact PVC
flooring exports. In 2025, the industry may face even greater challenges, with
the market share of PVC flooring products exported to the U.S. expected to
decline further. Meanwhile, the export volume of PVC powder to Southeast Asia
is anticipated to increase.
Over 80%
of China’s PVC flooring products are exported. According to GACC, before 2022,
China’s PVC flooring exports had maintained a long-term growth trend, peaking
at 5,726.8kt in 2021. More than half of exports were destined for the U.S.,
with export growth largely driven by U.S. demand. However, since August 2020,
when the U.S. imposed a 25% tariff on Chinese-origin PVC flooring products, the
growth of Chinese PVC flooring exports to the U.S. began to slow. Consequently,
the overall export growth rate also decelerated, exacerbated by a global
economic slowdown, leading to negative growth in 2022-2023. In 2024, with an
increase in exports to Europe, China’s overall PVC flooring export volume has
shown a renewed upward trend.
Following
the tariff hike to 25%, some Chinese PVC flooring companies relocated
production to Southeast Asian countries with lower U.S. tariffs, particularly
Vietnam, to maintain their competitive edge in the American market. As a
result, China’s share of PVC flooring exports to the U.S. has visibly declined.
On
February 1, 2025, Trump signed an executive order imposing an additional 10%
tariff on all Chinese exports to the U.S. This rate was further increased to
20% on March 3, 2025. Consequently, the tariff on Chinese PVC flooring products
exported to the U.S. will rise to 45%, making it significantly more challenging
for Chinese companies to maintain their market presence in the U.S.
In 2025,
the share of Chinese PVC flooring exports to the U.S. is expected to decline
further. In contrast, PVC flooring manufacturers in Southeast Asia will likely
gain a greater advantage in U.S. exports. Currently, Southeast Asia faces a
shortage of PVC powder supply. Given China’s pricing and freight advantages,
Chinese PVC powder is well-positioned to supplement Southeast Asia’s supply
gap. Consequently, PVC powder exports from China to Southeast Asian countries
are expected to rise in 2025. However, it is essential to monitor the capacity
expansion of local PVC powder manufacturers in Southeast Asia, such as AGC
(Thailand), which may impact future supply dynamics.
