PUdaily, compiling data from China's General Administration of Customs, reports that China exported approximately 430,900 metric tonnes of TDI from January to August 2026. Imports were about 2,664 tonnes, leaving net exports of roughly 428,200 tonnes. The analysis, published on 14 October 2026, asks how much growing vehicle exports can support TDI demand.
Monthly export volumes were uneven. PUdaily puts them at about 74,600 tonnes in April, 46,200 in May and 56,600 in June, then about 48,000 in July and 50,700 in August, with August up roughly 5.6% on July. It notes that export volumes did not follow a steady upward trend.
On the vehicle side, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers reports that vehicle production and sales both fell 4.5% year on year from January to September, with domestic sales down 22.4% to 15.066 million and exports up 65.8% to 8.205 million. PUdaily cautions that the two volumes cannot be added together as incremental automotive TDI demand: vehicles built for export create seating and foam purchases inside China, while exported TDI is processed overseas for several end markets, including furniture and mattresses as well as automotive seating.
For flexible foam processors outside China, the figures show that overseas markets are an important outlet for Chinese TDI supply, in PUdaily's words, and that monthly shipments have moved up and down rather than in a straight line. PUdaily adds that the automotive data cover January to September while the trade data cover January to August, so the two series do not show the markets growing in step.