Despite tariff frictions, weak global demand, and the Chinese New Year holiday in the second half of February, exports of polyethylene, polypropylene, styrenics, PVC and PET each were up versus the prior year.

Multiple sources, including Reuters and Modern Diplomacy, cited the general role of exports in China’s better-than-expected economic results early in 2026.

Included in China’s exports were 3.2 million tons of commodity polymers February 2026 YTD, up 21% from February 2025 YTD.

More than 80% of the export total was PP, PVC and PET: polypropylene, 0.54 million tons, up 29%; PVC, 0.9 million tons, up 21%; and PET, 1.2 million tons, up 5%.

In February, China’s imports of commodity polymers fell to their lowest level for the January 2022-February 2026 period. Imports February YTD totaled 3.5 million tons, down 13%, of which polyethylene was 2.6 million tons, down 11%; polypropylene, 0.5 million tons, down 14%.

From International Trader Publications’ China Polymer Trade Report, a monthly analysis of China’s imports and exports of all grades of commodity polymers, recyclable polymers, and key fabricated plastic products.