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Where does China get its polyethylene? Import sources 2024

In 2024, China imported $18.2 billion of polyethylene (16.7 million tonnes), 21.4% of the world total. Its main sources were the United States (15%), South Korea (14%) and Saudi Arabia (13%). China was the world’s largest importer of polyethylene.

Summary

Value
$18.2billion
Tonnes
16.7million tonnes
Share of world total
21.4%
World rank
1st
Routes from the main sources. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Sources

The 20 main sources in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD billions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
United States2.8Tonnes: 2,576,356USD per tonne: $1,07615.3%Sea
South Korea2.5Tonnes: 2,100,290USD per tonne: $1,20713.9%Sea
Saudi Arabia2.3Tonnes: 2,357,717USD per tonne: $97812.7%Sea
United Arab Emirates2.2Tonnes: 2,161,489USD per tonne: $1,01712.1%Sea
Singapore re-exports1.3Tonnes: 1,210,704USD per tonne: $1,1097.4%Sea
Iran1.3Tonnes: 1,330,012USD per tonne: $1,0097.4%Sea
Thailand1.2Tonnes: 930,903USD per tonne: $1,3106.7%Sea
Malaysia0.48Tonnes: 626,918USD per tonne: $7592.6%Sea
Japan0.44Tonnes: 269,967USD per tonne: $1,6292.4%Sea
Qatar0.44Tonnes: 414,808USD per tonne: $1,0552.4%Sea
Taiwan0.39Tonnes: 335,084USD per tonne: $1,1782.2%Sea
Canada0.35Tonnes: 324,018USD per tonne: $1,0851.9%Sea
Russia0.31Tonnes: 357,991USD per tonne: $8641.7%Sea
Spain0.3Tonnes: 166,008USD per tonne: $1,8211.7%Sea
Kuwait0.27Tonnes: 291,030USD per tonne: $9381.5%Sea
Germany0.23Tonnes: 124,669USD per tonne: $1,8231.3%Sea
Indonesia0.17Tonnes: 199,696USD per tonne: $8470.93%Sea
Vietnam0.16Tonnes: 203,573USD per tonne: $7880.88%Sea
India0.16Tonnes: 164,831USD per tonne: $9560.87%Sea
Belgium re-exports0.14Tonnes: 95,468USD per tonne: $1,4860.78%Sea

Trend

Who it buys from

The United States has been its main source since 2024

Value in USD billions. The five largest sources in 2024.

  • United States 2.8
  • South Korea 2.5
  • Saudi Arabia 2.3
  • United Arab Emirates 2.2
  • Singapore 1.3

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
United States0.182.8
South Korea0.512.5
Saudi Arabia0.122.3
United Arab Emirates< 0.012.2
Singapore0.041.3

Sources and methodology

Other products of this country

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

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