China's May POE imports slump 30%, as domestic substitution accelerates

China's POE imports extended a downtrend in May, reflecting the accelerating impact of domestic production capacity, which is displacing traditional overseas suppliers in the local market while simultaneously fueling an export surge to Southeast Asia and beyond.

The country imported 40,500 tonnes of polyolefin elastomer (POE) in May, plummeting 30.29% year-on-year, while exports more than doubled to 6,600 tonnes, according to data from the General Administration of Customs of PRC (GACC). The widening divergence reflects the accelerating impact from rising production capacity in China. By source country,