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Plastic waste and scrap: top exporters and importers (2024)

In 2024, world trade in plastic waste and scrap totaled $3.1 billion (7.6 million tonnes). The top exporters were the United States (10%), Germany (10%) and Japan (9%); the top importers were the United States (11%), Malaysia (8%) and Germany (7%). Compared with 2019, the value fell 5%.

Summary

World trade
$3.1billion
Tonnes
7.6million tonnes
Price per tonne
$412
The largest flows between countries. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Top exporters

  1. United States$311 million · 9.9%
  2. Germany$301 million · 9.6%
  3. Japan$284 million · 9.1%
  4. Netherlands$219 million · 7%
    re-exports
  5. United Kingdom$189 million · 6%
  6. Belgium$141 million · 4.5%
    re-exports
  7. France$137 million · 4.4%
  8. Canada$106 million · 3.4%
  9. Italy$90 million · 2.9%
  10. Spain$83 million · 2.7%
  11. Thailand$82 million · 2.6%
  12. Philippines$67 million · 2.1%
  13. Poland$61 million · 2%
  14. Indonesia$53 million · 1.7%
  15. Czechia$52 million · 1.7%
  16. Mexico$49 million · 1.6%
  17. Austria$38 million · 1.2%
  18. China$38 million · 1.2%
  19. Slovenia$36 million · 1.1%
  20. Ireland$33 million · 1.1%

Top importers

  1. United States$347 million · 11.1%
  2. Malaysia$258 million · 8.2%
  3. Germany$215 million · 6.9%
  4. Vietnam$210 million · 6.7%
  5. Turkey$197 million · 6.3%
  6. Netherlands$170 million · 5.4%
    re-exports
  7. Taiwan$148 million · 4.7%
  8. Belgium$125 million · 4%
    re-exports
  9. Spain$107 million · 3.4%
  10. Indonesia$103 million · 3.3%
  11. Italy$98 million · 3.1%
  12. Canada$82 million · 2.6%
  13. Austria$78 million · 2.5%
  14. France$77 million · 2.5%
  15. Poland$62 million · 2%
  16. United Kingdom$60 million · 1.9%
  17. Thailand$60 million · 1.9%
  18. China$58 million · 1.8%
  19. Mexico$50 million · 1.6%
  20. India$41 million · 1.3%

Trend

Who sells it

The United States has been the top exporter since 2024

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

  • United States 0.31
  • Germany 0.3
  • Japan 0.28
  • Netherlands 0.22
  • United Kingdom 0.19

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Country19952024
United States0.380.31
Germany0.120.3
Japan0.160.28
Netherlands0.090.22
United Kingdom0.030.19

Price

Implied price

The price per tonne fell 11% since 1995

Current US dollars per tonne: value over the weight reported by BACI.

  • 2024: $412

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearUSD per tonne
1995$464
1996$440
1997$354
1998$359
1999$325
2000$315
2001$299
2002$277
2003$313
2004$369
2005$428
2006$447
2007$459
2008$483
2009$434
2010$473
2011$550
2012$546
2013$562
2014$547
2015$460
2016$400
2017$440
2018$395
2019$398
2020$357
2021$469
2022$533
2023$421
2024$412

What it includes

  • 3915 · Plastic waste and scrap

Products in the same chapter

Sources and methodology

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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