The four-day CHINAPLAS 2026 successfully concluded on 24 April at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC), Hongqiao, Shanghai, PR China. This premier annual event of the global plastics and rubber industries set a new record, with an exhibition area of 400,000 sqm, 5,104 high-quality local and overseas exhibitors, and 350,189 professional visitors. It fully demonstrated the strong resilience, innovativeness and vitality of the plastics and rubber supply chain, injecting momentum into the high-quality development of the industry.
Uniting global innovation on the world stage
This year, the exhibition brought together 5,104 exhibitors from 45 countries and regions, a 10.57% increase compared to the 2025 Shenzhen exhibition; it welcomed 350,189 visitors from 188 countries and regions, marking a 24.53% increase compared to the 2025 Shenzhen exhibition. Among them, visitors from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas accounted for 24.68%, a total of 86,440 visitors, a 26.11% growth compared to the 2025 Shenzhen exhibition.
Stepping into the exhibition halls, visitors could instantly feel the buzz of trade and innovation. Over 3,800 sets of machinery exhibits featured live demonstrations, and more than 1,900 raw material suppliers were assembled. Over 350 exhibitors brought their global or Asian debut technologies, presenting a holistic view of the industry. The exhibition was not only spearheaded by Global 500 and China 500 enterprises but also featured over 1,000 Specialised and Niche Chinese enterprises.
“When I navigated the 16 exhibition halls, I was proud to observe that CHINAPLAS has reached a world-class standard. I saw the passion of the visitors, the diverse exhibits, the enthusiastic exchanges between exhibitors and visitors, the rising status of Chinese technology suppliers on the world stage, and the growing global recognition of China as one of the important future driving engines for the plastics and rubber industries,” Ms. Ada Leung, General Manager of Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., the organiser of the exhibition, stated.
Accelerating technology adoption to high-quality industry development
Under the theme “Transformation · Collaboration · Sustainability”, the exhibition focused on four key areas, namely “Circular Economy,” “Digitalization,” “Innovative Materials,” and “China’s High-end Technologies”, comprehensively displaying the innovative achievements of the plastics and rubber industries leaping towards high-end, intelligent, and green development.
State-of-the-art industrial machinery, including high-end injection moulding machines, highly versatile blown film production lines, smart and efficient extrusion systems, as well as blow moulding and thermoforming equipment, all made their appearance and were showcased in live operation on-site. These can be widely adapted to application scenarios across automotive, electronics and electric, packaging, medical, and many other industries. In response to the pressing demand or AI transformation across the plastics and rubber industries, innovative solutions continuously emerged, such as equipping injection moulding machines with a cognitive “smart brain”, the collaborative operation of intelligent injection moulding and humanoid robots, and intelligent recycling sorting equipment. These have become key variables in redefining production efficiency, quality, and costs, thus pushing “smart manufacturing” to new heights. From high-performance films, flame-retardant polypropylene modified materials, polyolefin elastomers (POE), PFAS-free materials, and high-performance bio-based materials, to high-quality recycled materials which can be comparable to virgin plastics, the boundaries of innovation are constantly expanding their boundaries. Anchoring on emerging markets with immense growth potentials, such as the low-altitude economy, humanoid robots, AI data centres, and new energy, exhibitors launched new plastics and rubber materials and advanced processing technologies like long-carbon-chain nylon materials, high-performance carbon fibre reinforced composites, polyurethane (PU) potting foams, and PEEK.
Leveraging concurrent events to inspire industry insights in the future
The exhibition featured a series of high-level concurrent events which were overwhelmingly well-attended. These curated programs, including “The Power of Plastics Forum,” “Additives Seminar: Enhancing Sustainability and the Values of Plastics,” “Tech Talk,” “Medical Plastics Connect,” “InnoAccelerate,” and “Applications in Focus,” addressed core topics, such as cutting-edge trends, market hotspots, and intelligent and green transformation pathways in the plastics and rubber industries. By convening global leaders and industry elites on stage, these sessions fostered deep discussions to jointly explore emerging opportunities and map out a new future for the industry.
Elevating exhibition value to amplify industrial chain synergy
Against the backdrop of profound shifts in the global economic landscape and an extensive restructuring of supply chains, CHINAPLAS 2026 has not only significantly boosted confidence across the plastics and rubber industries, but also clearly demonstrated the value of diversification of the exhibition. While reinforcing and stabilising global supply chains, the exhibition achieved a major leap in its platform capabilities, evolving from a traditional trade-matching exhibition into a hub of comprehensive and collaborative innovation for the industry.
For exhibitors, CHINAPLAS is far more than an efficient, direct sales engine for expanding market share and securing orders; it is a premier stage to project brand image, communicate market vision, and cultivate long-term mutual trust. At the fairground, exhibitors engage in strategic discussions with clients, capture unfiltered market feedback, and uncover untapped demands and market gaps. At the same time, CHINAPLAS provides a vital opportunity to gather competitive intelligence, map out the broader supply chain landscape, and define a clear strategic direction for long-term development.
For visitors, attending the exhibition goes beyond discovering new products, discussing cutting-edge technologies, and streamlining supply chain sourcing. It offers a valuable opportunity to step away from daily routines, step into the fairground, and experience the pulse of a changing industry. Here, visitors gather firsthand market intelligence, accurately anticipate industry trends, and spark innovative ideas alongside global partners. Ultimately, face-to-face interactions with exhibitors can bridge gaps, deepen trust, and translate the collaboration from “intention” to “action”.
Unlocking vast business opportunities through strong recognition from exhibitors and visitors
The momentum of the four-day exhibition remained strong from start to finish. The 16 exhibition halls saw a continuous high-density foot traffic as exhibitors eagerly welcomed visitors from all over the world. The event yielded fruitful results, serving as a dynamic platform for securing orders, negotiating collaborations, establishing strategic directions, expanding networks, and fostering mutual success.
The high-quality resources, vibrant trading environment, and wealth of innovative achievements of CHINAPLAS 2026 earned high acclaim from local and overseas visitors, all of whom departed with a highly rewarding experience.
CHINAPLAS is held alternately in Shenzhen in odd years and Shanghai in even years. The next exhibition will take place at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center (Bao’an), PR China from 13-16 April 2027.