The four-day Chinaplas 2026 exhibition ended on 24 April at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Hongqiao, Shanghai. This year's edition of the event for the plastics and rubber industry set a new record in terms of scale. The exhibition area amounted to 400,000 sq m, and the show hosted 5,104 exhibitors from 45 countries and regions as well as 350,189 professional visitors from 188 countries and regions. Compared with the 2025 edition in Shenzhen, the number of exhibitors increased by 10.57% and the number of visitors by 24.53%. The share of attendees from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and overseas markets reached 24.68%, equivalent to 86,440 people, representing an increase of 26.11% compared with the previous edition in Shenzhen. The organiser emphasises that these figures confirm the resilience of the plastics and rubber industry's supply chain and the sustained innovation activity of companies operating in this sector.
Across 16 exhibition halls, more than 3,800 machines were presented live, along with the offering of more than 1,900 raw material suppliers. More than 350 exhibitors presented technologies making their global or Asian market debut. In addition to companies from the Global 500 and China 500 lists, more than 1,000 specialised Chinese niche companies were also present, including nearly 200 domestic enterprises referred to as "Little Giants". As Ada Leung, General Manager of Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., the exhibition organiser, pointed out: "As I walked through the 16 exhibition halls, I proudly observed that Chinaplas had reached a world-class level. I saw the engagement of visitors, the diversity of exhibits, intensive exchanges between exhibitors and guests, the growing global position of Chinese technology suppliers, and the increasingly broad recognition of China as one of the important future driving forces of the plastics and rubber industry
Technologies for processing and new applications
The exhibition's theme was "Transformation, Collaboration, Sustainability". The exhibition programme focused on four areas: the circular economy, digitalisation, innovative materials, and advanced technologies from China. In practice, this meant a broad presentation of solutions for high-quality development, intelligent automation and reducing environmental impact in the plastics and rubber industry.
The exhibition featured, among others, advanced injection moulding machines, versatile blown film production lines, intelligent extrusion systems, as well as blow moulding and thermoforming equipment. All these solutions were demonstrated in operation and their applications were highlighted in the automotive, electronics and electrical engineering, packaging, medical, and other industrial sectors. In response to growing interest in implementations based on artificial intelligence, solutions such as injection moulding machines equipped with cognitive control systems, cooperation between intelligent injection moulding workstations and humanoid robots, as well as intelligent sorting equipment for recycling were also presented. According to the organiser, these technologies are becoming one of the factors redefining production efficiency, quality and costs.
In the materials segment, the exhibits included high-performance films, modified flame-retardant polypropylene materials, polyolefin elastomers, PFAS-free materials, high-quality bio-based materials, and recyclates with properties comparable to virgin plastics. Exhibitors also presented solutions aimed at emerging market segments such as the low-altitude economy, humanoid robots, AI data centres and new energy. Examples mentioned included materials based on long-carbon-chain nylons, high-strength carbon-fibre-reinforced composites, polyurethane potting foams and PEEK.
Accompanying events and thematic focus
The programme of accompanying events was an integral part of the exhibition. The organiser indicated that meetings such as The Power of Plastics Forum, Additives Seminar: Enhancing Sustainability and the Values of Plastics, Tech Talk, Medical Plastics Connect, InnoAccelerate and Applications in Focus attracted strong interest. Discussions focused on technology trends, current areas of market growth, intelligent process transformation, and development paths towards more sustainable plastics and rubber processing.
In the organiser's assessment, the exhibition is evolving from a classic platform connecting suppliers and buyers towards a place for co-creating innovation across the entire value chain. Against the backdrop of changes in the global economy and the restructuring of supply chains, the event was intended to strengthen confidence in the industry while also supporting the diversification of commercial and technological contacts. From the exhibitors' perspective, participation in the exhibition is important not only for sales, but also strategically, as it enables direct talks with customers, gathering information on market needs and observing competitors' activities. For visitors, in turn, the event provides an opportunity to compare technologies, talk to suppliers and assess market development directions based on direct contact.
Exhibitor and visitor opinions
According to the organiser, all four days of the exhibition were characterised by high attendance and intensive traffic in the halls. The statement stressed that the event served to obtain orders, negotiate cooperation, expand networks and define strategic directions. This assessment is confirmed by the cited comments from exhibitor and visitor representatives.
Phoebe Tsang, responsible for communications in the Performance Materials Asia Pacific area at BASF Southeast Asia Pte Ltd., stated: "Since participating in the first Chinaplas edition in 1983, BASF has consistently supported this key industry event. Over the decades, Chinaplas has developed into a leading platform for innovation and exchange for the global plastics industry. We are pleased to continue participating in this important event and supporting this platform, working with the organiser, customers and partners for innovation, collaboration and sustainable growth across the value chain as part of our #OurPlasticsJourney initiative."
Bridget Ngang, Marketing Manager Asia Pacific at KRAIBURG TPE, commented: "Chinaplas 2026 once again confirmed its position as a leading platform for innovation, collaboration and business development in the plastics industry. The exhibition created a valuable opportunity for us to showcase our latest TPE solutions while also strengthening relationships with customers and partners in the region".
Michael Zhang, Vice President of Marketing Asia at Arburg (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., said: "Chinaplas is an exceptional platform for presenting our Asian product portfolio and highlighting our local for local strategy. During the exhibition, we launched the new Allrounder Trend electric machine on the Asian market. Compared with last year, we recorded a significant increase in the number of enquiries, 65% of which concerned the Allrounder Trend model itself. We are very satisfied with this result".
Yu Min, Deputy General Manager of Suzhou Tongda Machinery Co., Ltd., said: "Our fully electric HSE series and high-end Kautex KTC production lines were displayed side by side and attracted professional buyers from more than 30 countries and regions, including many loyal customers who had previously preferred European and American equipment. The stand attracted strong interest, and we obtained many orders directly at the exhibition for machines and complete process lines. What we experienced was not only straightforward transactions, but a joint momentum of the entire plastics and rubber ecosystem focused on growth and resilience. The value created by such a platform is the most important takeaway for us."
Shao Jinhui, Marketing Manager at Hefei Meyer Optoelectronic Technology Inc., added: "Our overall experience of participating in the exhibition was very good. We recorded heavy visitor traffic and a high share of valuable industry visitors, which was conducive to precise and efficient business matchmaking. Meyer attracted many visitors from China and abroad, who stopped for enquiries and in-depth discussions, creating an environment favourable to cooperation. The results were significant, and the value of contracts signed on site exceeded RMB 80 million".
Positive assessments also came from visitors. Wassim Wadie Mikhail, General Manager of Alex Mark from Egypt, stated: "Chinaplas provides a very good opportunity to learn about advanced technologies, equipment and raw material options, as well as to compare prices and conduct substantive negotiations with suppliers. We expect this to translate into significant cooperation projects and purchasing opportunities." Jenni Frans Tjong, Regional Purchasing Manager at PT Trias Sentosa Tbk of Indonesia, emphasised: "Participation in Chinaplas was beneficial for us. Exchanging emails is one thing, but meeting face to face is another. We were finally able to verify those hard-to-find manufacturers and meet current partners in person for the first time. This truly changed the nature of the relationship, from straightforward purchasing to partnership building. We left with much greater confidence, better terms of cooperation and several new material options that we certainly would not have discovered online".
Ge Lei, Head of R&D at Unisupply Industrial, pointed out: "Chinaplas 2026 reached a new level in terms of both scale and internationalisation. The event showcased the circular economy, digitalisation and high-performance materials, and many of the presented technologies had moved from demonstration to practical implementation. Our priorities have shifted from price towards supply chain stability, material properties and sustainability compliance, as well as equipment intelligence and system integration. Our purchasing approach is also changing, from acquiring individual machines to buying systems based on complete solutions."
Liu Tingting, Director of the office of Suzhou Wanlong Auto Parts Co., Ltd., assessed that "Chinaplas 2026 can be described as a highly professional and forward-looking technology exhibition tailored to the needs of specialists from the automotive interiors industry. At the exhibition, it was possible to see directly how key trends such as lightweighting, environmental protection and intelligence are changing the landscape of injection moulding and automotive parts manufacturing at an unprecedented speed and scale. The processes, materials and moulding technologies presented at the exhibition are of high reference value for both enterprises and the industry as a whole".
Chen Chu, a mould engineer at Samsung Electronics, said: "Thanks to this visit, I gained detailed insight into the latest R&D directions and process upgrade ideas among manufacturers of plastics and rubber materials and processing equipment, such as mould intelligence, practical AI implementations and environmentally friendly low-carbon materials. This provided a great deal of inspiration for further product iteration, technical optimisation and supply chain planning at our company, and also constituted strong support for future business cooperation and technology exchange. The purpose of organising our delegation was clear: to enable colleagues to learn about new products, the latest processes and technologies supporting the supply chain, go beyond the constraints of day-to-day work, absorb innovative ideas and accurately grasp development trends in household appliance components".
Feng Jiaxuan, Project Supervisor at Senior Material, indicated: "The exhibition is very well aligned with the lithium-ion battery separator industry, comprehensively covering core equipment, raw materials and other key areas of separator production. Thanks to this visit, we efficiently connected with high-quality resources on both the supplier and customer sides and conducted in-depth discussions on process upgrading, cost reduction, efficiency improvement and localisation practices. The information obtained provides a valuable reference point for our R&D work, product development and supply chain optimisation, effectively helping us seize development opportunities under conditions of tight market balance".
The organiser announces further use of the exhibition's outcomes through the CPS+ eMarketplace platform and video materials available online. The end of the event therefore does not mean the end of commercial and technical activity around the solutions presented.
