Shanghai, April 21, 2026 — The 38th China International Plastics & Rubber Industry Exhibition (CHINAPLAS 2026) officially kicked off at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Hongqiao), Shanghai on April 21. Centered on the theme “Transformation · Collaboration · Shaping Sustainability Together”, the exhibition covers a total area of nearly 400,000 square‑meters across all 16 exhibition halls. It gathers more than 5,100 exhibitors from 45 countries and regions worldwide. Focusing on four major dimensions: circular economy, digital transformation, innovative materials and high‑end tech‑driven Chinese manufacturing, the event serves as a core global platform for plastics‑rubber technology display, business matching and idea exchange.
As the weathervane of the global plastics and rubber industry, this edition sets a new record in scale, with the number of exhibitors rising by 11% compared with the Shanghai show in 2024. It fully covers the whole industrial chain including plastics‑rubber machinery, raw materials, additives, moulds and downstream applications. Over 3,800 units of equipment are put on live dynamic demonstration onsite, and more than 1,900 chemical raw‑material enterprises make their appearances. Over 350 enterprises debut new technologies and products for global or Asian premieres, showcasing the latest achievements of the industry toward high‑end, intelligent and green transition.
Within the green‑circular track, recycling‑modification technologies, bio‑based materials, low‑carbon additives and degradable solutions stand out as major highlights. Numerous enterprises present chemical recycling of plastics, high‑value regeneration of waste plastics and rubbers, as well as low‑carbon modified materials. They deliver full‑chain carbon‑reduction solutions for packaging, automotive, electronics, medical and other sectors, supporting manufacturers to deliver ESG development goals. Digitalization forms another major theme. AI‑empowered injection moulding, smart factory control systems, digital‑twin production lines and digital equipment‑maintenance solutions are widely exhibited, helping plastics‑rubber manufacturers cut costs, improve efficiency and accelerate the intelligent upgrading of traditional factories.
The advanced‑materials zone features abundant highlights. Targeting emerging sectors such as new‑energy vehicles, aerospace, low‑altitude economy, humanoid robots and healthcare, high‑performance engineering plastics, thermoplastic composites, special elastomers and medical polymer materials are on full display. Technological breakthroughs in lightweight, high‑low‑temperature resistance, conductive‑flame‑retardant and biocompatible materials keep expanding the application boundaries of plastics‑rubber materials and underpin the development of new‑quality productive forces in downstream industries.
More than ten high‑profile industry events run concurrently with the exhibition, including the Power of Plastics Forum, Tech Theatre, Additives Seminar, Medical Plastics Summit and multiple end‑user application seminars. Industry experts, leading enterprises and end‑buyers conduct in‑depth discussions on hot topics such as circular‑economy policies, new‑material innovation, automotive plastics & rubber, medical polymers and green packaging. These activities break information barriers between upstream and downstream players and boost collaborative innovation among industry, academia, research institutes and end‑users.
According to the organizer, amid global supply‑chain volatility and fluctuating raw‑material prices, the industry attaches greater importance to industrial‑chain resilience and open collaboration. CHINAPLAS 2026 builds a global dialogue platform to facilitate trade connections and shared innovation achievements between Chinese and overseas enterprises, and addresses common industry challenges through technological innovation.
The four‑day exhibition runs from April 21 to 24. It is expected to attract over 350,000 professional visitors from 188 countries and regions worldwide, with overseas visitors (including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) accounting for more than 24%. It fully demonstrates the event’s international influence and injects strong momentum into the high‑quality development of the global plastics‑rubber industry.
