HS4 subsector intelligence

Plastics
HS4 3923 trade overview

A focused view of this HS4 subsector: market scale, momentum, leading routes, countries, and the HS6 classifications inside it.

HS4 39231995-2024 coverageStable
The numbers at a glanceLatest reported year · 2024
01

Latest trade

$68.5BGlobal subsector value
02

Annual change

+3.4%Latest year on year
03

Exporters

197Active reporting countries
04

Importers

200Active reporting countries
05

HS6 products

7Classifications inside HS4

The subsector read

$68.5B in trade, with +1.7% annualized growth over three years.

Plastics is recorded across 12,721 active corridors, with 197 exporters and 200 importers.

Annual trend

Subsector momentum over time

Reported global trade from 1995 to 2024. Read the methodology ↗

Annual subsector tradeReported global trade from 1995 to 2024.1995: $11.7B1996: $12.1B1997: $12.9B1998: $13.6B1999: $15.5B2000: $17.2B2001: $17.8B2002: $19.5B2003: $22.9B2004: $26.4B2005: $29.7B2006: $33.2B2007: $38.1B2008: $41.6B2009: $35.6B2010: $39.8B2011: $45.3B2012: $46.1B2013: $49.1B2014: $51.4B2015: $48.1B2016: $48.6B2017: $51.0B2018: $56.3B2019: $55.4B2020: $55.8B2021: $65.0B2022: $69.3B2023: $65.9B2024: $68.5B
Reported global trade by year.

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
RankExporterImporterTrade valueGrowthHS6DistanceFTA
1USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSAMexicoMEX$2.9B+8.7%73,359 kmYes
2ChinaCHNUSA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA$2.7B-0.4%711,883 kmNo
3MexicoMEXUSA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA$2.4B+10.2%73,359 kmYes
4CanadaCANUSA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA$2.3B+0.9%7556 kmYes
5USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSACanadaCAN$2.1B+0.3%7556 kmYes
6ChinaCHNJapanJPN$909.7M-1.5%71,763 kmNo
7GermanyDEUNetherlandsNLD$672.9M-6.4%7579 kmYes
8ChinaCHNAustraliaAUS$660.2M+3.7%78,024 kmYes
9ChinaCHNRepublic of KoreaKOR$649.5M+2.4%7867 kmYes
10GermanyDEUFranceFRA$632.0M-8.1%7881 kmYes

Market structure

Where supply and demand concentrate

Exporter and importer rankings show the two sides of the subsector separately. Check coverage ↗

Top exporters2024 ranking
RankCountryExportsPartnersHS6
1ChinaCHN$13.8B2007
2USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA$6.8B1797
3GermanyDEU$6.1B1867
4FranceFRA$3.0B1857
5MexicoMEX$2.7B1297
6CanadaCAN$2.4B1667
7PolandPOL$2.4B1597
8ItalyITA$2.3B1777
9NetherlandsNLD$2.0B1857
10SpainESP$1.7B1787
Top importers2024 ranking
RankCountryImportsPartnersHS6
1USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA$11.0B1457
2GermanyDEU$4.6B1447
3MexicoMEX$3.8B1007
4FranceFRA$3.5B1467
5CanadaCAN$2.9B1337
6United KingdomGBR$2.6B1287
7JapanJPN$2.2B857
8NetherlandsNLD$2.2B1327
9SpainESP$2.0B1237
10ItalyITA$1.9B1177

HS6 product coverage

The products inside HS4 3923

Six-digit classifications make the subsector specific. Browse the product workspace ↗

7 classifications shownPlastics
01
Plastics: boxes, cases, crates and similar articles for the conveyance or packing of goodsHS6 392310
02
Ethylene polymers: sacks and bags (including cones), for the conveyance or packing of goodsHS6 392321
03
Plastics: sacks and bags (including cones), for the conveyance or packing of goods, of plastics other than ethylene polymersHS6 392329
04
Plastics: carboys, bottles, flasks and similar articles, for the conveyance or packing of goodsHS6 392330
05
Plastics: spools, cops, bobbins and similar supports, for the conveyance or packing of goodsHS6 392340
06
Plastics: stoppers, lids, caps and other closures, for the conveyance or packing of goodsHS6 392350
07
Plastics: articles for the conveyance or packing of goods n.e.c. in heading no. 3923HS6 392390

Definitions and coverage

Read the numbers with context

Reported observations and calculated indicators should be read with their coverage period. Responsible AI principles ↗

01

Reported values

Trade values describe reported merchandise trade for the HS4 classification, not company-level sales or shipment records.

02

Calculated indicators

Growth, concentration, volatility, and peak comparisons are calculated from reported observations.

03

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.