HS4 subsector intelligence

Plastics
HS4 3924 trade overview

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

HS4 39241995-2024 coverageStable
The numbers at a glanceLatest reported year · 2024
01

Latest trade

$25.8BGlobal subsector value
02

Annual change

+4.4%Latest year on year
03

Exporters

198Active reporting countries
04

Importers

200Active reporting countries
05

HS6 products

2Classifications inside HS4

The subsector read

$25.8B in trade, with +1.9% annualized growth over three years.

Plastics is recorded across 10,847 active corridors, with 198 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: $3.7B1996: $3.8B1997: $4.0B1998: $4.1B1999: $4.7B2000: $4.8B2001: $4.9B2002: $5.4B2003: $6.2B2004: $7.2B2005: $8.2B2006: $9.2B2007: $10.2B2008: $11.0B2009: $10.1B2010: $11.2B2011: $12.8B2012: $13.0B2013: $14.5B2014: $16.5B2015: $16.6B2016: $16.3B2017: $17.1B2018: $18.6B2019: $19.3B2020: $20.0B2021: $24.4B2022: $26.4B2023: $24.7B2024: $25.8B
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
1ChinaCHNUSA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA$5.9B+1.4%211,883 kmNo
2ChinaCHNMalaysiaMYS$581.1M+12.9%23,737 kmYes
3ChinaCHNJapanJPN$483.0M-4.8%21,763 kmNo
4ChinaCHNAustraliaAUS$474.4M+1.2%28,024 kmYes
5ChinaCHNUnited KingdomGBR$459.1M+2.7%29,217 kmNo
6MexicoMEXUSA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA$408.0M+5.5%23,359 kmYes
7ChinaCHNSingaporeSGP$405.5M+25.3%23,797 kmYes
8ChinaCHNCanadaCAN$397.7M-1.8%211,441 kmNo
9ChinaCHNGermanyDEU$367.9M+2.6%28,415 kmNo
10ChinaCHNMexicoMEX$366.0M+18.2%212,928 kmNo

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$15.7B2002
2USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA$837.2M1792
3GermanyDEU$803.7M1732
4TurkeyTUR$636.3M1812
5PolandPOL$614.3M1442
6NetherlandsNLD$590.9M1762
7ItalyITA$577.4M1692
8MexicoMEX$506.5M1202
9Viet NamVNM$411.1M1302
10TaiwanTWN$351.0M1542
Top importers2024 ranking
RankCountryImportsPartnersHS6
1USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA$7.4B1422
2GermanyDEU$1.2B1242
3CanadaCAN$838.5M1322
4FranceFRA$816.7M1352
5United KingdomGBR$777.7M1142
6JapanJPN$650.5M632
7NetherlandsNLD$615.9M1102
8AustraliaAUS$610.0M862
9MalaysiaMYS$608.8M742
10MexicoMEX$526.4M902

HS6 product coverage

The products inside HS4 3924

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

2 classifications shownPlastics
01
Plastics: tableware and kitchenwareHS6 392410
02
Plastics: household articles and hygienic or toilet articlesHS6 392490

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.