China PE market faces new capacity lull in Feb-Jul

China will see a six-month pause in PE capacity expansion between February and July 2026. While total new PE capacity for 2026 is forecast at 5 million t/y, nearly all expansions will be concentrated in H2.

China's PE sector has entered a six-month lull in new capacity additions from February to July 2026, mainly due to project delays, high feedstock costs and producer strategies to avoid a seasonally weak demand environment. China's PE new capacity is projected to reach 5 million tonnes/year in 2026, but the