CHINAPLAS 2026 Gathers Momentum in Shanghai Driving Smart and Green Transformation

Publish date: 2026-04-16

The highly anticipated CHINAPLAS, the world’s leading plastics and rubber trade show, will return to the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC), Hongqiao, Shanghai from April 21–24, 2026. With an exhibition area exceeding 390,000 sqm and more than 5,000 quality exhibitors from China and abroad, this edition sets a new record and reaffirms its position as the annual flagship event for the plastics and rubber industries. The show will spotlight four key themes — Circular Economy, Digitalization, Innovative Materials, and China’s High‑end Technologies — bringing together global industry forces and showcasing frontier innovations that lead the industry toward smart, green, and advanced development. Global Giants Converge: 5,000+ Exhibitors Power an Industry Showcase Over 5,000 exhibitors will present their latest solutions, including industry leaders, such as BASF, SABIC, ExxonMobil, LG Chem, LyondellBasell, Formosa Plastics, Covestro, Lotte Chemical, Toray, Evonik, Borouge, Sinopec, PetroChina, Wanhua, Kingfa, Sinochem, Rongsheng, Hengli, WOTE, Kumho-Sunny, INTCO, Arburg, Engel, Husky, KraussMaffei, Mold-Masters, Synventive, Battenfeld-cincinnati, Totani, HP, Nordson, ScanTECH, TOMRA, Avian, Asano, Haitian, Yizumi, Chen Hsong, Borch, Fu Chun Shin, L.K. Technology, Tederic, Kaihua, Push Die & Mold, Jwell, Sinomech, Shaanxi Beiren, JCtimes, Useon, Aceretech and more. A highlight is the participation of over 1,000 Specialized and Niche Chinese enterprises, including nearly 200 national “Little Giant” companies, marking the largest collective appearance of such enterprises in CHINAPLAS history. Specialized and Niche Chinese refers to those with comprehensive indicators established by the Chinese government in terms of economic benefits, degree of specialization, level of excellence in operation and management, etc. These homegrown innovators are reshaping the global supply chain with strong R&D capabilities and mature manufacturing technologies, offering overseas buyers more cost‑effective supplier options and strengthening China’s role in global supply chain optimization. Through the establishment of a global network of manufacturing facilities, offices, and overseas distributors, these companies have built a comprehensive after-sales and customer service system and are emerging as a high-quality new force in global supply chain upgrade, demonstrating the strength of homegrown innovation within China’s plastics and rubber industries. As global expansion becomes an increasingly important strategy for risk diversification, Specialized and Niche Chinese enterprises are actively integrating into and contributing to the optimization of global supply chains, positioning themselves as a dynamic and high-quality emerging force. Driving Transformation with Smart Technologies and Innovative Materials This year’s exhibits have been further upgraded to deliver an immersive frontier technology experience, with highlights across 17 theme zones, unlocking new possibilities for industrial transformation. The theme zones for raw materials machinery feature more than 3,800 advanced machines in live demonstrations, covering injection molding, extrusion, blow molding, plastics packaging technologies, rubber machinery, die & moulds, auxiliary equipment, and testing instruments. Reifenhäuser will present its third‑generation EVO blown film line, which achieves up to 30% higher productivity thanks to its rapid restart, advanced connectivity capability, and a future‑oriented digital architecture. Photon Cloud introduces inspection technology with machine vision into real medical production scenarios, applied to tasks, such as detecting impurities inside bottles, checking cap quality, and identifying missing tablets in blister packs. The machine vision replaces human eyes in inspection, safeguarding efficiency and quality for enterprises. The theme zones for raw materials gather more than 1,900 chemical and raw materials suppliers, featuring a vast array of the latest solutions, ranging from general and engineering plastics, pigments and masterbatches, additives, to composites and specialty materials, elastomers and rubber bioplastics, recycled plastics, as well as innovative products. LG Chem has developed biaxially oriented polyethylene (BOPE) film, redesigned from its polymer crystallization structure, achieving high stiffness and transparency even as a mono‑material, this enables easier recycling when applied to packaging. Orinko will launch long‑chain nylon materials for drone shells and key components, reducing weight while maintaining structural rigidity, thereby enhancing endurance. New Materials and Smart Equipment Drive Transformation, New Productive Forces Power Industrial Upgrades New materials are the cornerstone of manufacturing upgrades, while digitalization, intelligence, and AI technologies are the key engines of industrial transformation. CHINAPLAS 2026 serves as a concentrated showcase of “New Productive Forces” in the plastics and rubber industries. Innovative materials are expanding into new application fields. At the exhibition, high‑performance composite fibers, specialty engineering plastics, and thermoplastic elastomers for automotive, new energy, humanoid robots, drones, and aerospace will be prominently displayed. With properties, such as efficient heat dissipation, halogen‑free flame retardancy, lightweighting, and high rigidity, they meet diverse demands of advanced manufacturing. BASF’s solid‑state battery pack materials contribute to vehicle lightweighting and optimized thermal management, while Covestro’s polycarbonate solutions enable humanoid robots to maintain agility and withstand complex physical interactions for stable operation. The deep integration of traditional plastics and rubber machinery with digitalization, intelligence, and AI technologies is another highlight of the show. Through process integration and AI applications, production efficiency and precision are significantly enhanced. Digital tools reduce labor and time costs, save energy, and minimize environmental impact, ensuring that smart manufacturing supports green development. AI empowers plastics processing equipment to achieve intelligent upgrades, producing complex, high‑performance products while meeting flexible production needs. Moreover, plastics technologies combined with AI enable broader applications of innovative eco‑friendly materials. Solutions, such as Chen Hsong’s iChenTM Cloud Intelligent Manufacturing Operation and Management Platform and JC Times’ integrated Intelligent Precision Die are being implemented. At CHINAPLAS 2026, smart technologies are evolving from concept to production line, truly empowering lean factory management. Green Transformation: Circular Economy Across the Value Chain Green and low‑carbon development has shifted from being optional to an industry essential. Centered on the circular economy, CHINAPLAS 2026 has built a full‑chain green innovation platform to help the industry address uncertainties in traditional raw materials and achieve low‑carbon transformation. The Recycling Tech Zone brings together more than 120 global suppliers, showcasing physical recycling, AI‑driven sorting technologies, and closed‑loop solutions for high‑value recycling of waste plastics. On the second floor at the NECC, the theme zones for raw materials, particularly the Bioplastics Zone and Recycled Plastics Zone, will highlight biodegradable materials, post‑consumer recycled resins produced via chemical recycling, and low‑carbon modified materials. The latest recycled resins feature higher cleanliness, lower odor residue, and improved surface quality, approaching the performance of virgin materials and applicable to diverse fields including food packaging. Exhibitors will also present traceable and compliant closed‑loop materials for automotive applications. “Closed loop,” “carbon reduction,” and “value creation” are the three driving forces behind full‑chain green solutions under the circular economy theme. At the exhibition, upgraded physical and chemical recycling technologies will be showcased, including high‑performance bio‑based materials, high‑value recycled plastics for multiple applications, and a wide range of low‑carbon manufacturing solutions. Avient has developed bio‑based thermoplastic elastomers containing 40–50% renewable content derived from sugarcane, reducing carbon footprint at the source. With performance comparable to conventional TPEs and recyclability of production waste, they are widely applied in consumer goods, automotive, consumer electronics, personal care, and cosmetics packaging. TOMRA’s AUTOSORT™ intelligent sorting machine is a multifunctional optical sorting system equipped with patented technologies and AI elements. Utilizing near‑infrared (NIR) and visible (VIS) detection, the system delivers rapid and accurate identification and separation of materials by type and color attributes, delivering high‑purity PET, PP, HDPE, LDPE, PE, and PC from mixed waste streams, providing strong equipment support for the implementation of the circular economy. Driving Cost Reduction and Efficiency Gains, Innovation Strengthens Industry Foundations Amid raw material price fluctuations and supply chain instability, energy saving, cost reduction, and efficiency improvement have become core imperatives for sustainable enterprise growth. CHINAPLAS 2026 will showcase breakthrough achievements in these areas including integrated automated solutions that significantly streamline production processes and reduce labor costs; modular equipment designs that enhance production line flexibility and meet diverse product demands: Other showcases include lightweight processes, internet and AI‑enabled optimization of materials and processes, and real‑time monitoring of quality and energy consumption. These cutting-edge solutions help downstream enterprises safeguard profitability and ensure visible returns on every investment. Haitian will present an automated injection molding solution for drone blades, achieving over 30% higher production efficiency, eliminating 100% of assembly labor, and maintaining dimensional deviation within ±0.05 mm. With high‑speed injection at 800 mm/s and an air‑floating rotary table ensuring stable workstation switching, the solution delivers fully automated production and core benefits in cost reduction and efficiency gains. Arburg will launch its Golden Edition electric machine EVO, which shortens dry cycle time by 2 seconds compared with standard hydraulic machines, reduces energy demand to just 50% of hydraulic machines, and ensures high repeatability and product quality through servo‑electric precision positioning. Global Opportunities Converge in Shanghai, Internationalization Reaches New Heights With China’s foreign trade regaining momentum, the international influence of CHINAPLAS 2026 has further expanded. The exhibition is expected to attract professional buyers from more than 140 countries and regions, welcoming over 430 buyer delegations, including more than 70 overseas groups. Compared with the previous edition, new delegations from Egypt, Argentina, Colombia, Spain, and Poland will join, further broadening the scope and depth of international exchange. As a key global platform for the plastics and rubber industries, CHINAPLAS 2026 provides one‑stop opportunities for face‑to‑face negotiations, technical exchanges, project cooperation, and supply chain optimization. It supports the stability of global industry supply chains and fosters deeper collaboration between Chinese and international enterprises, enabling shared opportunities and win‑win outcomes. For more information or enquiries, please visit ChinaplasOnline.com or contact Chinaplas.PR@adsale.com.hk. **END** Please click on the photo to download the high-resolution image. Grateful if we are provided a copy or a link for reference if it is published. This press release is issued by Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd. For media inquiries, please contact: Hong Kong: Ms. Cynthia Lau Tel: (852) 2516 3583 Email: Chinaplas.Media@adsale.com.hk Official Website: ChinaplasOnline.com CHINAPLAS WeChat: About CHINAPLAS 2026 CHINAPLAS 2026 is organized by Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., Beijing Yazhan Exhibition Services Ltd., Adsale Exhibition Services (Shanghai) Ltd., Adsale Exhibition Services (Shenzhen) Ltd. and co-organized by China National Light Industry Council - China Plastics Processing Industry Association, China Plastics Machinery Industry Association, the Plastic Trade Association of Shanghai, and Messe Düsseldorf China Ltd. The event is also supported by various plastics and rubber associations in China and abroad. First introduced in 1983, CHINAPLAS has been approved by UFI (The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry) as a "UFI Approved International Event". CHINAPLAS 2026 is exclusively sponsored by the Europe’s Association for Plastics and Rubber Machinery Manufacturers (EUROMAP) in China for the 35th time. CHINAPLAS is currently Asia’s leading plastics and rubber trade fair, and is widely recognized by the industry as one of the most influential exhibitions in the world.