1. Overall situation analysis
The blow molding machine is a type of plastic processing machinery. After liquid plastic is sprayed out, the plastic body is blown onto a certain shape of mold cavity by the air blown by the machine to produce a product. This machine is called a blow molding machine. Plastic is melted and quantitatively extruded in the screw extruder, then formed by sealing film, cooled by air blown by the cooling ring, and then pulled at a certain speed by the traction machine and wound into a roll by the winder.
Blow molding machines can be divided into three main categories: extrusion blow molding machines, injection blow molding machines, and special structure blow molding machines. Stretch blow molding machines can be classified under each of the above categories. An extrusion blow molding machine is a combination of an extruder, a blow molding machine, and a mold clamping mechanism, and consists of an extruder, a parison head, a blowing device, a mold clamping mechanism, a parison thickness control system, and a transmission mechanism. An injection blow molding machine is a combination of an injection molding machine and a blow molding mechanism, which includes a plasticizing mechanism, a hydraulic system, a control electric appliance, and other mechanical parts. Common types include three-station and four-station injection blow molding machines. A special structure blow molding machine is a blow molding machine that uses sheet, and molten material and performs to blow hollow bodies with special shapes and uses. Due to the different shapes and requirements of the products produced, the structure of the blow molding machine also varies.
With the rapid development of the economy, the quantity of various plastic bottles and barrels in China continues to increase, and the blow molding industry is also growing. In recent years, the export value of blow molding machines has been increasing linearly, from 2,176.94 million USD in 2018 to 2,894.42 million USD in 2021, while the import value has decreased from 209.11 million USD in 2018 to 132.45 million USD. In 2020, both export and import quantities reached a small peak. According to China Customs data, in the first half of 2022, the import quantity of blow molding machines in China was 88.21 million USD, with 115 units imported, and the export value was 1,447.59 million USD, with 54,181 units exported.
In terms of average unit prices for imports and exports, the average import unit price was higher than the export unit price. In the first half of 2022, the average import unit price was 760,000 USD per unit, while the average export unit price was only 26,700 USD per unit. This was mainly due to the influence of production technology. Foreign countries have advanced technology, which results in higher quality blow molding machines and higher prices. In contrast, domestic technology is not as advanced and mainly produces low to mid-range products. From 2018 to 2021, the import average price had the largest decline in 2020 due to the impact of the pandemic, while the export average price has been in a declining trend overall.
2. Breakdown of import and export
According to Chinese customs data, in the first half of 2022, the import value of extrusion blow molding machines was 35.29 million USD, with 34 units imported, while the export value was 65.34 million USD, with 38,006 units exported. From 2018 to 2021, the import value and quantity of extrusion blow molding machines showed a downward trend, indicating that China is gradually reducing its dependence on imports, while the export value has been steadily increasing and the export quantity rebounded in 2020.
From the perspective of import and export average prices, the import average price of extrusion blow molding machines was still higher than the export average price. In the first half of 2022, the import average price was 1.03 million USD per unit, while the export average price was only 0.0582 million USD per unit. The import average price of extrusion blow molding machines declined in 2020, while the export average price was in an upward trend in the same year. The demand for medical-related packaging products has been increasing due to the impact of the pandemic, leading to the continuous improvement of China’s technology in the blow molding machine industry.
According to China Customs data, the import value of injection blow molding machines in China in the first half of 2022 was 12.62 million USD, with 47 units imported, while the export value was 7.12 million USD, with 176 units exported. The export quantity of injection blow molding machines experienced a slight decrease from 2018 to 2021, while the import quantity showed fluctuations but was generally on the rise.
From the perspective of average import and export unit price, the average import unit price of injection blow molding machines was higher than the export unit price. In the first half of 2022, the import unit price of injection blow molding machines in China was 268,700 USD per unit, while the export unit price was 40,500 USD per unit.
According to the China Customs data, in the first half of 2022, the import value of other blow molding machines in China was 40.28 million USD, with an import quantity of 34 units, and the export value was 72.28 million USD, with an export quantity of 15,999 units. From 2018 to 2021, the export quantity of other blow molding machines in China was greater than the import quantity, mainly due to the lower price of Chinese blow molding machines, which were popular abroad.
From the perspective of import and export unit prices, in the first half of 2022, the average import unit price of other blow molding machines was 1.18 million USD per unit, while the average export unit price was 4,500 USD per unit. In 2020, the import unit price of other blow molding machines dropped due to the impact of the pandemic.
3. Analysis of import and export patterns
In the first half of 2022, China’s imported blow molding machines were mainly from Germany, Japan, Canada, India, and Taiwan, with import values of 56.24 million USD, 8.59 million USD, 5.79 million USD, 5.68 million USD, and 3.99 million USD, respectively. Germany accounted for the largest proportion, far exceeding the total of other import sources. Due to the developed blow molding industry in Germany, its technology and services are very mature, and the quality of blow molding machines is relatively high.
According to the export value, Vietnam was the largest export destination for China’s blow molding machines, with an export value of 10.85 million USD in the first half of 2022, followed by Thailand and Indonesia, with export values of 9.18 million USD and 8.86 million USD, respectively. Due to China’s blow molding machines’ price advantage, Vietnam and other developing countries are the main export destinations.
According to China Customs data, Jiangsu and Zhejiang were the major provinces for China’s blow molding machine imports. In the first half of 2022, Jiangsu province ranked first in the country with an import value of 24.37 million USD for blow molding machines, followed closely by Zhejiang province with an import value of 23.79 million USD.
Source from Intelligence Research Group (chyxx.com)
