The overall value of exported plastic items rose by an average 26.3% for all exporting countries since 2016 when plastic items shipped worldwide were valued at $67.6 billion. From 2019 to 2020, the value of exported plastic items appreciated by 7.7% from 2019 to 2020.
The 5 biggest exporters of plastic items (China, Germany, United States, Italy, France) generated roughly three-fifths (59.6%) of globally exported items made from plastics.
From a continental perspective, European countries sold the highest value worth of exported plastic articles on international markets via a 41.6% share. In second place was Asia at 38.5%, trailed by North American suppliers at 11.5%.
Tinier percentages came from Africa (0.6%), Latin America (0.5%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Oceania (0.2%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 3926 for articles made from plastics.
Plastic Item Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of plastic items during 2020.
- China: US$28.9 billion (33.9% of exported plastic items)
- Germany: $9.5 billion (11.1%)
- United States: $6.6 billion (7.7%)
- Italy: $3.1 billion (3.6%)
- France: $2.8 billion (3.3%)
- Netherlands: $2.35 billion (2.8%)
- Poland: $2.34 billion (2.7%)
- Japan: $2.1 billion (2.5%)
- Mexico: $2 billion (2.3%)
- Taiwan: $1.84 billion (2.2%)
- Czech Republic: $1.82 billion (2.1%)
- Hong Kong: $1.7 billion (2%)
- South Korea: $1.5 billion (1.8%)
- United Kingdom: $1.3 billion (1.6%)
- Austria: $1.2 billion (1.5%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 81% of global plastic items exported in 2020.
Among the top exporters, 4 grew their exports of items made from plastic since 2019 namely: China (up 34.9%), Netherlands (up 8.7%), Taiwan (up 6.9%) and Poland (up 1.5%).
Those countries that posted declines in their exported plastic items sales were led by: United Kingdom (down -13.3%), Austria (down -8.3%), Italy (down -7%), Czech Republic (down -5.9%) and United States (down -5.2%).
Searchable List of Plastic Items Exporting Countries in 2020
The 100 key exporters of items made from plastic shown in the automated database below represent 99.96% of the overall value of plastic items exported during 2020.
| Rank | Exporter | Plastic Item Exports (US$) | 2019-20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | China | $28,912,645,000 | +34.9% |
| 2. | Germany | $9,501,833,000 | -2% |
| 3. | United States | $6,552,160,000 | -5.2% |
| 4. | Italy | $3,053,468,000 | -7% |
| 5. | France | $2,811,195,000 | -4.1% |
| 6. | Netherlands | $2,346,487,000 | +8.7% |
| 7. | Poland | $2,343,469,000 | +1.5% |
| 8. | Japan | $2,118,142,000 | -1.7% |
| 9. | Mexico | $1,963,898,000 | -0.2% |
| 10. | Taiwan | $1,835,028,000 | +6.9% |
| 11. | Czech Republic | $1,815,928,000 | -5.9% |
| 12. | Hong Kong | $1,682,769,000 | -0.4% |
| 13. | South Korea | $1,545,928,000 | -0.3% |
| 14. | United Kingdom | $1,334,540,000 | -13.3% |
| 15. | Austria | $1,249,709,000 | -8.3% |
| 16. | Vietnam | $1,186,108,000 | +9.5% |
| 17. | Canada | $1,166,617,000 | +0.1% |
| 18. | Spain | $988,877,000 | -2.6% |
| 19. | Belgium | $945,716,000 | +3.4% |
| 20. | Thailand | $940,625,000 | -10.6% |
| 21. | Hungary | $913,287,000 | -3.4% |
| 22. | Switzerland | $822,193,000 | -1.2% |
| 23. | Sweden | $736,138,000 | +2.7% |
| 24. | Singapore | $712,835,000 | -2.8% |
| 25. | Slovakia | $662,744,000 | -3.4% |
| 26. | Denmark | $658,704,000 | +4.9% |
| 27. | Malaysia | $646,172,000 | -15.8% |
| 28. | India | $559,859,000 | -12.5% |
| 29. | Turkey | $481,130,000 | +15.3% |
| 30. | Portugal | $460,366,000 | -0.1% |
| 31. | Romania | $435,011,000 | -8.4% |
| 32. | Israel | $360,405,000 | -13.4% |
| 33. | Slovenia | $324,002,000 | -1.1% |
| 34. | Tunisia | $237,973,000 | -16.8% |
| 35. | Finland | $209,794,000 | +18.9% |
| 36. | Ireland | $205,269,000 | +5.2% |
| 37. | Lithuania | $192,626,000 | +9.4% |
| 38. | Philippines | $151,215,000 | +1.9% |
| 39. | Indonesia | $150,077,000 | +4.5% |
| 40. | Russia | $139,979,000 | +13.3% |
| 41. | Sri Lanka | $130,082,000 | +659% |
| 42. | Australia | $117,961,000 | -6.7% |
| 43. | Brazil | $109,546,000 | -13.3% |
| 44. | Bulgaria | $101,500,000 | +2.9% |
| 45. | Estonia | $100,893,000 | -1.1% |
| 46. | Morocco | $95,708,000 | +10.2% |
| 47. | Costa Rica | $92,872,000 | -1.6% |
| 48. | South Africa | $86,530,000 | -8.2% |
| 49. | Egypt | $78,158,000 | +31.4% |
| 50. | Dominican Republic | $71,424,000 | +49.1% |
| 51. | New Zealand | $63,100,000 | +8.2% |
| 52. | Luxembourg | $62,348,000 | +3.9% |
| 53. | Greece | $59,748,000 | -2.9% |
| 54. | Cambodia | $57,781,000 | +312.2% |
| 55. | Norway | $55,559,000 | +4.9% |
| 56. | Latvia | $55,556,000 | +5.1% |
| 57. | United Arab Emirates | $48,315,000 | -82.4% |
| 58. | Serbia | $48,094,000 | +9.5% |
| 59. | Belarus | $47,698,000 | -4.3% |
| 60. | Croatia | $43,702,000 | -6.2% |
| 61. | Colombia | $29,241,000 | -0.8% |
| 62. | Malta | $28,514,000 | +8.3% |
| 63. | El Salvador | $28,203,000 | -22.4% |
| 64. | Jordan | $26,084,000 | -14.3% |
| 65. | Nepal | $25,048,000 | +12745% |
| 66. | Guatemala | $23,775,000 | +31.4% |
| 67. | Ukraine | $21,441,000 | -32.8% |
| 68. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $18,246,000 | -38.8% |
| 69. | Bangladesh | $16,246,000 | -6.8% |
| 70. | Argentina | $16,212,000 | -6.9% |
| 71. | Panama | $15,907,000 | +14.1% |
| 72. | Peru | $15,422,000 | +53.4% |
| 73. | Honduras | $13,089,000 | +3016% |
| 74. | Chile | $11,147,000 | +0.2% |
| 75. | Oman | $9,824,000 | -49.1% |
| 76. | Pakistan | $6,566,000 | -1% |
| 77. | Kenya | $4,751,000 | +43.1% |
| 78. | Lebanon | $4,712,000 | -6.1% |
| 79. | Kyrgyzstan | $4,383,000 | +1488% |
| 80. | Kazakhstan | $4,347,000 | -32.5% |
| 81. | Ecuador | $3,994,000 | +9.1% |
| 82. | Myanmar | $3,866,000 | -40.2% |
| 83. | Ghana | $3,640,000 | -77.2% |
| 84. | Albania | $3,512,000 | +23.4% |
| 85. | North Macedonia | $3,451,000 | -14% |
| 86. | Iran | $3,382,000 | -46.2% |
| 87. | Saudi Arabia | $3,255,000 | -50.1% |
| 88. | Zambia | $2,888,000 | +9.3% |
| 89. | Cameroon | $2,634,000 | +1244% |
| 90. | Senegal | $2,476,000 | +242.5% |
| 91. | Mauritania | $2,134,000 | 0% |
| 92. | Cyprus | $2,072,000 | -30.5% |
| 93. | Moldova | $1,850,000 | -12.7% |
| 94. | Iceland | $1,609,000 | +47.9% |
| 95. | Venezuela | $1,552,000 | -47.4% |
| 96. | Namibia | $1,368,000 | +63.2% |
| 97. | Uganda | $1,344,000 | +103.6% |
| 98. | Laos | $1,327,000 | +2112% |
| 99. | Bahrain | $1,327,000 | -62.7% |
| 100. | Uzbekistan | $1,325,000 | +95.4% |
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns above. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that no 2019 data was available.
The fastest-growing countries in terms of supplying exported plastic items to worldwide trade partners from 2019 to 2020 are: Nepal (up 12,745%), Honduras (up 3,016%), Laos (up 2,112%), Kyrgyzstan (up 1,488%), Cameroon (up 1,244%), Sri Lanka (up 659%) and Cambodia (up 312.2%).
See also Top Cork Exporting Countries, Sawn Wood Exports by Country and Top Stainless Steel Exporters by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Imports – Commodities. Accessed on July 12, 2021
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 12, 2021
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on July 12, 2021
