SunSirs: Plastics and Rubber Industries Bulk Commodity Intelligence (October 23, 2026)

Macroeconomics

1. [EV Charging Infrastructure] Data from the National Energy Administration shows that, as of the end of September, the total number of electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities in my country reached 24.777 million, an increase of 37.2% year-on-year. This includes 5.207 million public charging facilities (up 16.3% year-on-year) and 19.57 million private charging facilities (up 44% year-on-year).

2. [Japan CPI] On October 23, Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI)—excluding fresh food—rose by 2.1% year-on-year in September. The CPI excluding both fresh food and energy rose by 2.4%, while the headline CPI increased by 2.1%. This key inflation indicator has surpassed the Bank of Japan’s target level for the first time this year, reinforcing widespread expectations that the central bank may raise interest rates in December.

3. [Bank of Korea Interest Rates] The Bank of Korea has kept its base interest rate unchanged at 3.00%, in line with market expectations, following consecutive rate hikes in July and August.

Plastics and Rubber

1. [Butadiene Rubber] Qixiang Tengda’s 90,000-ton/year Gaoshun BR plant was shut down for maintenance on October 19, 2026; the date for its restart has yet to be determined.

2. [Nitrile Rubber] In September 2026, China’s total imports of nitrile rubber reached 6,645.058 metric tons, an increase of 25.79% month-on-month; total exports of nitrile rubber stood at 2,498.367 metric tons, up 15.83% month-on-month.

3. [EVA] In September 2026, my country’s EVA imports for the month totaled 44,900 metric tons, a year-on-year decrease of 17.01%; the cumulative import volume from January to September reached 371,100 metric tons, down 31.14% year-on-year. EVA exports for September 2026 totaled 53,200 metric tons, a year-on-year increase of 103.05%; the cumulative export volume from January to September reached 389,700 metric tons, up 76.02% year-on-year.