Despite its reputation for price-competitive machines in the global market, China runs a nearly US$1 billion trade deficit in plastic machinery.

The truth is that China exports a significantly larger number of machines than it imports. However, the advantage in quantity is outweighed by the factor of low prices.

During the past year, China imported 15,000 units of plastic machinery, worth US$2 billion. Exports reached 44,000 units valued at US$1.1 billion.

Japan, Germany and Taiwan are ranked the top three countries/regions that China buys plastic machinery from, representing 80 percent of China's imports.

China's major export destinations include Brazil, Iran, India, Turkey, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.

While India continued to impose anti-dumping duties on Chinese injection molding machines in 2010, China still managed to grow its global export of injection presses by more than 70 percent to 19,000 units valued at US$600 million.

Injection presses account for about half of China's plastic machinery import and export.

(Source: China Customs)