Analysis of the development of the plastic and rubber markets over the past 3 years

The global export volume of plastics and plastic products for 2022 amounted to USD 822.7 billion.  The volume of plastic exports increased by 25.5% compared to 2018 and by 1.9% compared to 2021.

The main supplier of plastics and plastic products to the world market in value terms is China (20.2% - China's share including the export volume from Chinese Taipei in the total world plastic export volume). The USA accounts for 10.1% of the total volume of plastic exports, the countries of the European Union (which are among the 20 major world plastic exporters - Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Poland, Spain) account for 28.5% of the total volume of plastic exports.    

Chart 1 Main world exporters of plastics and plastic products for 2022

Source: ITC

According to ITC, in 2022, the Russian Federation exported plastics and plastic products for a total of 4.2 billion US dollars, which is 31.2% less than in 2021 and 33.9% more than in 2018. The share of Russian exports of plastics in the total volume of world exports of this commodity is 0.5%.

The share of Kazakhstan's exports of plastics and plastic products is only 0.03% in the total volume of world exports of these products. Although the volume of Kazakhstan's exports, according to ITC information, increased by 36.6% compared to 2021 and 2.4 times compared to 2018.

Fig. 1 Top 10 countries - main world exporters of plastics and plastic products for Q1 2023 and 1Q 2024 (million tons)

Source: ITC

Chart 2 World exports of plastics and plastic products (top 20 countries) by quarters of 2023 and 2024 (tons)

Source: ITC

The main volume of exports of plastics and plastic products in volume terms is also accounted for by China (50.4% in the total volume of exports by top 20 countries including the export volumes of Chinese Taipei), the Republic of Korea (15.3%), France (6.5%), Thailand (6.1%) and others.

Оnly Azerbaijan (0.3% in the total export volume) is included in the top 20 world exporting countries of plastics and plastic products (in volume terms) from the CIS countries.

The volume of imports of plastics and plastic products amounted to 831.8 billion US dollars in 2022, which is 3.7% more than in 2021, and 23.9% more compared to the level of 2018. 

The main importers of plastics and plastic products (among the top 20 countries) are the United States (10.8%), China (9%), Germany (6.9%), Mexico (3.9%), France and Italy (3.6% each), Belgium (3%), India, the United Kingdom and Canada (2.7% each), and the Netherlands (2.6%).

Fig. 2 Share of main world importing countries for plastics and plastic products (top 20 countries) in 2022 (%)

Source: ITC

The share of CIS countries in total world imports of plastics and plastic products is not significant (see Fig. 3). Thus, such countries as Russia (1.1%), Kazakhstan (0.3%), Uzbekistan, Belarus and Azerbaijan (0.1% each) account for 1.6% of total world imports of plastics and plastic products. The Republic of Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan account for only 0.2% of total imports of plastics and plastic products.

Fig. 3 Share of the CIS countries in the world imports of plastics and plastic products in 2022 (%)

Source: ITC

Chart 3 Global imports of plastics and plastic products (top 20 countries) by quarters of 2023 and 2024 (thousand USD)

Source: ITC

The volume of global exports of rubber and rubber products for 2022 was US$220.7 billion, down from 2021 volumes by 2.6%, up from 2018 volumes by 5%.

Table 4: Major global exporters of rubber and rubber products for 2022

Source: ITC

The volume of rubber and rubber products exports according to ITC data for the Russian Federation for 2022 decreased by 14.9% compared to 2021 and by 1% compared to 2018.

The share of rubber and rubber products exports of the Russian Federation in total global rubber exports for 2022 amounted to 1.4%.

Export of rubber and rubber products from Kazakhstan occupies not significant share in the total volume of their world export (0.03%), with the growth of Kazakhstan's export volumes in compare to 2021 - 4 times, to 2018 - by 40%. It can be assumed that these exports of Kazakhstan are re-exports of these products from other countries.

Table 5: Volume of world exports of rubber and rubber products (top 20 countries of the world) by quarters of 2023 and 2024 (thousand USD)

Source: ITC

The volume of global imports of rubber and rubber products in 2022 amounted to 237.7 billion US dollars, or 1% less than in 2021 and 6% more than in 2018.

The major importers of rubber and rubber products in 2022 are the United States (17% of the total global imports), China (7.8%), Germany (7.4%), Mexico (3.7%), France (3.4%), Canada (3.1%), Italy (2.7%), United Kingdom (2.5%), Netherlands (2.4%), Belgium (2.3%), and others. It may be noted that these countries are producers and exporters of tires for various types of motor vehicles.

Russian Federation

For 2023, the volume of production in the Russian Federation of plastics in primary forms amounted to 10708.4 thousand tons or 3.7% more than in 2022. Over the last five years (for 2019 - 2023), the volume of production of plastics in primary forms increased in the Russian Federation by 23.1%.

The main volume in the production of plastics in primary forms for 2023 is accounted for by polymers of ethylene in primary forms (33% in the total production of plastics in primary forms) and polymers of propylene and other olefins in primary forms (20.3%).
                                                 
Chart 6 Production of certain types of plastics in the Russian Federation for 2019-2023 (thousand tons)

Source: Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation (hereinafter - Rosstat), for 2023 - preliminary data

In January-April 2024, the output of plastics in primary forms increased by 2.9% compared to January-April 2023, amounting to 3,670.3 thousand tons. For the four months of 2024, the output of synthetic rubbers in primary forms increased by 4.7% compared to January-April 2023, amounting to 502.2 thousand tons.

Chart 7. Production of certain products of chemical industry in the Russian Federation for January-April 2024

Source: Rosstat

Republic of Kazakhstan

Production of plastics in primary forms in the Republic of Kazakhstan increased by the results of 2023 compared to 2022 for: amino resins - by 17.7%, polyacetals, alcohol polyethers of other alcohols and epoxy resins in primary forms - by 15.2%, styrene polymers in primary forms - by 2.7%.

Chart 8 Production of certain products of chemical industry in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2019 - 2023 (tons)

Source: Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan

For January-April 2024 the production of plastics in primary forms in volume terms (in tons) for the analyzed period of 2024 in the Republic of Kazakhstan amounted to:

Chart 9 (tons)

 Source: Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan

 Resources of plastics in primary forms are replenished to a greater extent through their import from other countries.

The share of Kazakhstan in the world volume of imports of plastics and plastic products (according to ITC) for 2022 amounted to 0.3%. In January-March 2024, the share of imports in the total volume of resources in the Republic of Kazakhstan amounted to 98.6% for ethylene polymers in primary forms, 91.3% for styrene polymers in primary forms.

Foreign trade turnover of plastics and plastics products shows that in 2023 exports of these products increased compared to 2022 in 1.8 times (in volume terms), imports into the country decreased by 6.2%.

At the same time, it should be noted that the import of plastics and plastic products significantly exceeds (3.6 times in 2023) the volume of its export by Kazakhstan to other countries.

Chart 10 Exports and imports of plastics and plastic products by the Republic of Kazakhstan

Source: Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Synthetic rubber imported from other countries is used mainly on the territory of Kazakhstan. For 2023 there is a decrease in import of synthetic rubber to Kazakhstan from other countries compared to 2022 by almost 84%. 

Chart 11 Export and import of synthetic rubber in the Republic of Kazakhstan

 Source: Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan