Latest trade
$66.8BGlobal subsector valueHS4 subsector intelligence
Plastics
HS4 3920 trade overview
A focused view of this HS4 subsector: market scale, momentum, leading routes, countries, and the HS6 classifications inside it.
The numbers at a glanceLatest reported year · 2024
Annual change
+5.8%Latest year on yearExporters
188Active reporting countriesImporters
200Active reporting countriesHS6 products
19Classifications inside HS4The subsector read
$66.8B in trade, with -2.2% annualized growth over three years.
Plastics is recorded across 9,085 active corridors, with 188 exporters and 200 importers.
Annual trend
Subsector momentum over time
Reported global trade from 1995 to 2024. Read the methodology ↗
Top trade corridors
Where the subsector moves
Leading exporter-to-importer relationships by latest reported value. See data sources ↗
Latest reported relationshipsTop 10 by trade value
| Rank | Exporter | Importer | Trade value | Growth | HS6 | Distance | FTA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JapanJPN | ChinaCHN | $2.8B | -2.6% | 19 | 1,763 km | No |
| 2 | CanadaCAN | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $1.7B | -0% | 18 | 556 km | Yes |
| 3 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | CanadaCAN | $1.4B | +0.2% | 19 | 556 km | Yes |
| 4 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | MexicoMEX | $1.4B | +3.6% | 19 | 3,359 km | Yes |
| 5 | ChinaCHN | Viet NamVNM | $1.1B | +1.6% | 19 | 2,732 km | Yes |
| 6 | Republic of KoreaKOR | ChinaCHN | $1.1B | -9.5% | 19 | 867 km | Yes |
| 7 | JapanJPN | Republic of KoreaKOR | $1.0B | -11.2% | 18 | 1,155 km | No |
| 8 | MexicoMEX | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $842.4M | +1.3% | 18 | 3,359 km | Yes |
| 9 | ChinaCHN | IndiaIND | $827.3M | +17.9% | 19 | 4,252 km | No |
| 10 | JapanJPN | TaiwanTWN | $746.3M | -13.8% | 19 | 2,109 km | No |
Market structure
Where supply and demand concentrate
Exporter and importer rankings show the two sides of the subsector separately. Check coverage ↗
| Rank | Country | Exports | Partners | HS6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChinaCHN | $10.9B | 198 | 19 |
| 2 | GermanyDEU | $6.8B | 178 | 19 |
| 3 | JapanJPN | $6.0B | 138 | 19 |
| 4 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $5.8B | 174 | 19 |
| 5 | Republic of KoreaKOR | $3.2B | 143 | 19 |
| 6 | ItalyITA | $2.8B | 163 | 19 |
| 7 | TurkeyTUR | $1.9B | 169 | 19 |
| 8 | CanadaCAN | $1.8B | 138 | 19 |
| 9 | FranceFRA | $1.6B | 171 | 19 |
| 10 | BelgiumBEL | $1.6B | 159 | 19 |
| Rank | Country | Imports | Partners | HS6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $6.5B | 111 | 19 |
| 2 | ChinaCHN | $6.0B | 106 | 19 |
| 3 | GermanyDEU | $3.8B | 118 | 19 |
| 4 | FranceFRA | $2.8B | 108 | 19 |
| 5 | MexicoMEX | $2.6B | 91 | 19 |
| 6 | ItalyITA | $2.3B | 99 | 19 |
| 7 | United KingdomGBR | $2.2B | 97 | 19 |
| 8 | Republic of KoreaKOR | $2.0B | 80 | 19 |
| 9 | CanadaCAN | $2.0B | 95 | 19 |
| 10 | Viet NamVNM | $1.9B | 66 | 19 |
HS6 product coverage
The products inside HS4 3920
Six-digit classifications make the subsector specific. Browse the product workspace ↗
22 classifications shownPlastics
Plastics: plates, sheets, film, foil and strip, of polymers of ethylene, non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392010
Plastics: of polymers of propylene, plates, sheets, film, foil and strip (not self-adhesive), non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392020
Plastics: of polymers of styrene, plates, sheets, film, foil and strip, non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392030
Plastics: rigid, of polymers of vinyl chloride, plates, sheets, film, foil and strip, non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392041
Plastics: flexible, of polymers of vinyl chloride, plates, sheets, film, foil and strip, non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392042
Plastics: polymers of vinyl chloride, containing by weight not less than 6% of plasticisers: plates, sheets, film, foil and strip (not self-adhesive), non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392043
Plastics: polymers of vinyl chloride, containing by weight, less than 6% of plasticisers: plates, sheets, film, foil and strip (not self-adhesive), non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392049
Plastics: of acrylic polymers, polymethyl methacrylate, plates, sheets, film, foil and strip (not self-adhesive), non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392051
Plastics: of acrylic polymers (excluding polymethyl methacrylate), plates, sheets, film, foil and strip (not self-adhesive), non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392059
Plastics: plates, sheets, film, foil and strip, of polycarbonates, non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392061
Plastics: plates, sheets, film, foil and strip, of polyethylene terephthalate, non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392062
Plastics: plates, sheets, film, foil and strip (not self-adhesive), of unsaturated polyesters, non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392063
Plastics: plates, sheets, film, foil and strip, of polyesters n.e.s. in heading no. 3920, non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392069
Plastics: plates, sheets, film, foil and strip, of regenerated cellulose: non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392071
Plastics: plates, sheets, film, foil and strip, of vulcanised fibre, non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392072
Plastics: plates, sheets, film, foil and strip, of cellulose acetate, non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392073
Plastics: plates, sheets, film, foil and strip (not self-adhesive), of cellulose derivatives n.e.c. in heading no. 3920, non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392079
Plastics: plates, sheets, film, foil and strip, of polyvinyl butyral, non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392091
Plastics: plates, sheets, film, foil and strip (not self-adhesive), of polyamides, non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392092
Plastics: plates, sheets, film, foil and strip (not self-adhesive), of amino-resins, non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392093
Plastics: plates, sheets, film, foil and strip (not self-adhesive), of phenolic resins, non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392094
Plastics: plates, sheets, film, foil and strip (not self-adhesive), of plastics n.e.c. in heading no. 3920, non-cellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materialsHS6 392099
Definitions and coverage
Read the numbers with context
Reported observations and calculated indicators should be read with their coverage period. Responsible AI principles ↗
Reported values
Trade values describe reported merchandise trade for the HS4 classification, not company-level sales or shipment records.
Calculated indicators
Growth, concentration, volatility, and peak comparisons are calculated from reported observations.
Missing data
Unavailable observations remain unavailable. They are not filled, interpolated, or presented as forecasts.
Coverage: 1995-2024 · Data refreshed 2026-07-20 09:34:09
Data source
OECD trade statistics with CEPII context
OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-27). OECD BIMTS is the primary trade series for this view. Supporting bilateral trade context uses CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601) under Etalab 2.0 Open Licence. Yugalinks presents derived views of reported observations and calculated indicators. Data terms: OECD Terms & Conditions.