- Imports from China rise 10.6% to $6.3 bn, 28.6% of India’s plastics imports
- Raw materials make up $13.3 bn of the deficit; finished goods are close to balance
India’s trade in plastics and articles (HS Chapter 39) ran a deficit of $14 billion in FY25, with imports of $22.1 billion against exports of $8.2 billion, according to Plastindia Foundation analysis of DGCIS and PLEXCONCIL data.
China is the largest single source of that gap. Imports from China rose 10.6% to $6.3 billion in FY25, or 28.6% of the total, mainly PVC. With exports to China of only $276 million, the bilateral deficit of $6.06 billion accounts for 43% of India’s plastics trade deficit.
The top ten suppliers account for 82% of imports. Two shifts stand out: Singapore grew 12.6% and China 10.6%, while imports from the UAE fell 25% and from Saudi Arabia 6%. Together, the top five partners account for 59% of imports and 75% of the deficit. The USA is the only major partner with which India runs a surplus.
The gap is in resin, not finished products
Plastic raw materials account for $13.3 billion of the Chapter 39 deficit, with resin imports of $16.6 billion against exports of $3.2 billion. In finished plastic goods within Chapter 39, India is close to balance, importing $5.6 billion and exporting $4.9 billion, led by raffia products, films and sheets, and houseware.
Across all plastic finished goods, including products classified outside Chapter 39, India exported $8.5 billion in FY25 against imports of $7.8 billion, a surplus of $0.7 billion. That makes resin sourcing, not converting, the real exposure in India’s plastics trade.
USA leads exports; Vietnam and Bangladesh grow fastest
India’s plastics exports rose 9.6% to $8.2 billion in FY25. The USA is the largest market at $1.67 billion (+13.6%), accounting for 20.5% of exports, mainly finished goods. Exports to Bangladesh (+22.8%), Vietnam (+27.9%) and Saudi Arabia (+20.0%) grew fastest among the top ten destinations.
Why this matters in Ahmedabad
How much further can China’s export push go, and what should West India’s buyers do about it?
If resin sourcing is India’s real exposure, West India’s converters and traders sit closest to it. That is the question at the heart of PLAST.CONNECT 2026 – West India, the first edition of PolyMint’s regional series, built around the theme “From Resin to Recyclate”.
Panel 3, The New Polymer Supply Map: Global Shifts & India’s West Coast, will bring together industry and trade leaders to discuss shifting global polymer capacity and trade flows, China’s oversupply and growing import pressure, the competitive advantages of West Coast ports and logistics, Gujarat’s role as a major plastics processing hub, and strategic sourcing opportunities for Indian buyers over 2026–30.
22 October 2026 | Le Meridien, Ahmedabad
Join us and be part of the conversation shaping India’s plastics value chain.
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