Direct Coverage of Chinaplas 2026 International Rubber & Plastic Exhibition | The Hormuz Incident has disrupted the global rubber and plastic raw material landscape – why are international traders converging in Shanghai at this critical moment?

"Stabilizing supply chains and supply-demand relationships serves as the cornerstone for enterprises to mitigate risks... This year's exhibition features a larger scale, more diverse exhibits, and an increasingly international and high-end exhibitor lineup. It is believed to chart a course for the industry's breakthrough and inject greater confidence into the complex and volatile trade environment," said Liang Yaqi, head of the International Rubber and Plastic Exhibition organizers. A reporter from the National Business Daily (hereinafter referred to as the "NBD reporter") observed at the event that "circular economy," "digitalization," and "innovative materials" remained the core focus of competition among enterprises. Amid rising raw material prices, new trends and opportunities have emerged across various segments, and the initially anticipated "chilly spring season" influenced by international developments proved less severe than expected.

The current International Rubber and Plastic Exhibition was characterized by a strong international atmosphere. On the afternoon of April 22, the Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center was bustling with attendees of diverse backgrounds hurrying through the corridors connecting the eight exhibition halls. At the service desk in the center, a procurement information wall composed of multiple screens served as a direct channel for efficient exhibitor-business partner matching. Domestic and international buyers could simply scan a QR code to post their procurement requests on-site. A buyer from Pakistan seeking PVC adhesives received responses from seven suppliers shortly after the request was posted. Another buyer from the Republic of Togo generated even greater interest; their inquiry for "blow film machines, bag-making machines, and related raw materials and equipment" drew responses from 12 suppliers.

This is just a snapshot of the procurement activities at this International Rubber and Plastic Exhibition. According to a reporter from the National Business Daily, the event is expected to attract over 430 buyer delegations from both domestic and international sources, including more than 70 overseas delegations. Asia remains the primary source of international visitors; compared to the previous edition, this year's exhibition welcomed new delegations from countries and regions such as Egypt, Argentina, Colombia, Spain, and Poland. Li Meng (pseudonym), who works at a leading listed company in a specialized sector as General Manager of a core subsidiary, has participated in the International Rubber and Plastic Exhibition for several consecutive years. Her extensive experience has led her to observe a steady increase in clients from the Middle East in recent years. "Our downstream clients have also reported a growing number of projects subcontracted from the Middle East," she noted.

As China's economic and trade cooperation with the Middle East continues to deepen, bilateral trade exchanges have become increasingly concrete—ranging from major projects worth hundreds of billions of yuan to precise orders in specialized sectors. The growing presence of Chinese enterprises in the Middle East has enabled local businesses to keenly seize market opportunities and information gaps, making them highly active at various exhibitions. Whether at the recent Canton Fair in Guangzhou or the ongoing Rubber & Plastic Exhibition in Shanghai, Middle Eastern buyers have flocked to these events in tandem with the resumption of air routes. Behind this influx of domestic and international buyers lies the stability of China's rubber and plastic industry supply chains, which serves as a crucial support. Several executives from leading companies in the sector shared similar views in interviews: industry competition has shifted from solely focusing on price to emphasizing stability, prioritizing supply chain security and resilience.

Despite rising raw material prices, many exhibitors noted that market demand has not shown significant signs of weakening. A company specializing in plastic bottle packaging films admitted that while raw material costs have increased, downstream clients have exhibited a phenomenon of "the higher the prices, the more they seek to purchase." This trend reflects downstream customers' urgent demand for stable supply of rubber and plastic raw materials.

With widespread increases in crude oil prices, new trends in the industry's development have already emerged.

A clear trend is that most leading companies are currently expanding their production capacity in regions such as Southeast Asia to address challenges posed by geopolitical factors. For example, Jinfa Technology has established seven production bases overseas; factories in Mexico, Poland, and other locations are scheduled to commence operations within the year, with plans to build one to two additional satellite factories. Flame retardant leader Wansheng Co., Ltd. disclosed that its production base in Thailand is progressing smoothly, with trial production expected in the first half of this year. This facility will complement its domestic base, enhancing responsiveness and compliance delivery capabilities for the European and American markets.

While stabilizing traditional businesses and ensuring their survival, the industry has also witnessed the emergence of new trends. At this exhibition, several 3D printing equipment manufacturers attracted significant attention from visitors. At one booth, visitors queued to try out 3D-printed footwear and consulted with company staff about details of the consumables. Poly-lactic acid, a core product among 3D printing materials, is a biodegradable plastic. Many industry insiders believe this material holds promise as a replacement for conventional plastics.

Against the backdrop of rising crude oil prices driving up costs for traditional plastic products, could biomaterials as alternatives become the market's new favorite? An employee from a leading company analyzed for the reporter from the Daily Economic News that this is unlikely. The reasons are primarily twofold: first, the production costs of polylactic acid (PLA) products are also affected by fluctuations in upstream raw material prices like crude oil, leading to rising costs; second, market demand growth remains modest, and the supply-demand imbalance persists. However, an undeniable trend is the accelerating global adoption of 3D printing, which is driving significant product growth. Notably, as traditional energy prices rise, demand in previously undervalued niche segments is beginning to recover.

In the broader field of new materials, innovative materials tailored for emerging sectors such as renewable energy, energy storage, low-altitude aviation, humanoid robotics, and computing power continue to emerge, serving as critical components supporting technological innovation. Innovative engineering plastics and polyurethanes used in battery packs contribute to vehicle lightweighting, optimized thermal management, and enhanced safety performance. Materials like PEEK (polyetheretherketone), PI (polyimide), PPS (polyphenylene sulfide), and PPSU (polyphenylene sulfone) are widely applied in aerospace, electronics, and electrical engineering due to their exceptional heat deformation temperatures, dielectric properties, and self-extinguishing flame retardancy. PCTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) remains fracture-resistant and creep-resistant in highly corrosive environments, making it suitable for semiconductor equipment, chemical processing, and medical analytical instruments. Impact-resistant and highly thermally conductive polycarbonate finds applications in data centers and supercomputing servers. Amid the current transformation of traditional industrial structures, demands for digitalization, high-end specialization, and technological advancement are unlocking unprecedented development opportunities for the rubber and plastics industry.