Market evolution: Plastic sheets (CN 39219090) — 2015–2025

Introduction

This report analyses the trade evolution of CN 39219090 — plates, sheets, film, foil and strip of plastics that are reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materials — across the European Union over the period 2015–2025. The product covers a heterogeneous category of advanced plastic materials used across packaging, construction, electronics and industrial applications. As shown in the General Overview, the EU has consistently maintained a positive trade balance in this product throughout the entire period, with exports growing faster than imports. By 2025, the EU's net surplus had more than doubled in value terms, reaching €203.6 million. Three main dynamics emerge from the data: a structural strengthening of the EU's export position, a significant shift in the geographic composition of trade flows — particularly the rise of China and the United States as key partners — and a notable improvement in trade diversification alongside pockets of price volatility.

1. The EU's strengthening net export position

Export growth outpaces import growth in both value and volume

Between 2015 and 2025, EU exports of CN 39219090 grew by 44.7% in value (from €633.5 million to €916.6 million) and by 19.1% in quantity (from 142,240 tonnes to 169,381 tonnes), according to the General Overview. Imports grew more modestly at 28.9% in value (from €553.1 million to €713.0 million) and 13.7% in quantity (from 138,796 tonnes to 157,754 tonnes). The faster pace of export growth translated into a rising trade surplus, which expanded from €80.4 million in 2015 to €203.6 million in 2025 — a 153.3% increase. This trend confirms a structural improvement in the EU's competitive position in this product category.

Price premiums reinforce value-driven competitiveness

EU exports commanded a higher unit price (€5,411 per tonne in 2025) than imports (€4,520 per tonne), with the export price premium growing over the period. Export prices rose by 21.5% compared to a 13.4% increase in import prices. This widening differential suggests that EU producers tend to specialise in higher-value, more technologically advanced variants of reinforced and laminated plastic sheets, while imports increasingly serve more price-sensitive segments.

Production growth underpins export capacity

EU domestic production of CN 39219090 grew from 788,887 tonnes to 1,000,000 tonnes over the period (based on PRODCOM data available in the Market Structure), a 26.8% increase. Production value rose even more sharply, from €2.19 billion to €3.72 billion (+69.9%), indicating that the EU industry has been moving up the value chain. As a result, net import reliance has remained negative throughout (from −6.5% to −7.9%), confirming that the EU is a net exporter of this product and has slightly increased its net export surplus relative to production.

2. Shifting geography: the rise of China and the United States

Switzerland's decline and China's surge reshape the import landscape

The most dramatic structural shift in EU imports occurred between Switzerland and China. In 2015, Switzerland was by far the EU's largest extra-EU import source, supplying €221.5 million worth of CN 39219090. By 2025, Swiss imports had declined by 33.8% to €146.7 million. In contrast, Chinese imports more than doubled, rising from €72.2 million to €156.6 million (+116.7%). By 2025, China had essentially caught up with Switzerland as the top import source. This shift likely reflects broader trends in global plastics manufacturing, with Chinese producers expanding capacity and competitiveness in reinforced and laminated plastic sheets.

The United States emerges as a major partner in both directions

The United States stands out as the partner with the fastest growth on both the import and export sides. EU imports from the US rose from €56.2 million to €97.8 million (+74.0%), while EU exports to the US surged from €61.5 million to €140.1 million (+127.7%), making the US the EU's third-largest export destination. This bilateral intensification suggests complementary specialisation and strong demand from US industrial sectors, potentially driven by supply chain reconfiguration and nearshoring dynamics.

Germany anchors intra-EU distribution while Southern and Eastern members gain ground

Among EU Member States, Germany remains the dominant importer (€201.7 million in 2025) and exporter (€255.1 million). However, its import volume was relatively flat (−3.9%), while several other members showed dynamic growth:

On the export side, Italy and Poland were the standout performers:

Italy's near-doubling of exports is particularly noteworthy and aligns with the specialisation data from the Market Structure, which shows Italy with an RCA of 2.60 and an RSCA of 0.45, confirming a strong comparative advantage in this product category.

3. Diversification gains tempered by pockets of price volatility

Import concentration has fallen markedly, improving supply resilience

The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) for import concentration by partner fell sharply from 2,069 in 2015 to 1,322 in 2025 (−36.1%), moving the market from a moderately concentrated structure to a more competitive one. This reflects the relative decline of Switzerland and the simultaneous growth of multiple suppliers including China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Türkiye and India. Export concentration also declined, but more moderately (from 939 to 827, −11.9%), suggesting that EU exporters already served a diversified set of markets.

Trade intensity and export propensity reveal an increasingly outward-oriented sector

The trade intensity of CN 39219090 rose from 25.6% to 36.7% (+43.6%), while export propensity increased from 17.3% to 25.3% (+46.8%). These metrics confirm that EU production has become significantly more export-oriented over the decade. The higher salience score for export propensity (71.5) compared to trade intensity (56.9) indicates that the EU's outward orientation is driven more by its ability to sell abroad than by import dependence — a sign of structural competitiveness.

Price shocks remain localised but warrant monitoring

Despite the overall positive trends, the Volatility & Shocks analysis identifies several notable price anomalies. The most significant include:

The Korean import price shock in 2020, coinciding with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, saw unit prices more than double — possibly reflecting supply disruptions or shifts in product mix. The Serbia and Norway export shocks in 2022 align with the broader energy and materials price spikes triggered by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The volatility analysis also shows that the EU's most stable export partners are the United Kingdom (CV: 0.11) and Norway (CV: 0.12), while its most volatile import sources include Egypt (CV: 0.72) and Norway (CV: 0.49) on the import side.

Conclusion

Over 2015–2025, the EU's trade in CN 39219090 followed a broadly positive trajectory. The Union consolidated its position as a net exporter, with its trade surplus more than doubling in value. This was driven by strong export growth — particularly to the United States, Switzerland and India — underpinned by rising domestic production and a shift toward higher-value output. The import landscape underwent a structural transformation, with China displacing Switzerland as a leading supplier and multiple emerging economies (Türkiye, India, Vietnam) gaining market share, resulting in significantly lower import concentration. While the sector has become more outward-oriented and resilient, isolated price shocks — particularly during the pandemic and the 2022 energy crisis — highlight the importance of continued monitoring of supply chain vulnerabilities. Looking ahead, the combination of EU manufacturing specialisation (with members like Italy, Greece and Portugal showing strong comparative advantages) and a diversified partner base positions the sector well, though competitive pressure from Chinese imports warrants close attention.