Guangzhou, September 4, 2025 – At the annual PU China International Polyurethane Exhibition, PUdaily showcased its industry-leading expertise at Booth B13, engaging with professionals from across the globe. During the event, PUdaily senior market analyst Ms. Claire delivered a keynote speech titled “From Globalization to Regionalization: The Resilience Test for Asia-Pacific Polyurethane Supply Chains in 2025”, drawing strong attention from industry leaders, downstream companies, and trade media.

In her speech, Ms. Claire leveraged the latest industry data to deliver an in-depth analysis of how the global trade war affected the Asia-Pacific polyurethane industry during the first half of 2025. She noted that, in that period, tariff conflicts intensified: the United States raised the total tariff on Chinese polymeric MDI to 61.5% and the total tariff on polyols to 51.5%, delivering a severe blow to Chinese PU raw-material exports to the U.S. market. “In April alone, polymeric MDI and TDI prices in China market plunged 25% and 29% respectively, hitting multi-year lows, while downstream demand experienced a ‘cliff-like’ contraction,” Ms. Claire said.

Yet, amid the tariff headwinds, regionalization has accelerated. Data presented in her speech showed that China’s polymeric MDI exports to North America and Europe dropped by 70.6% and 58% in H1 2025, while exports to Asia Pacific including Southeast Asia remained resilient. Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia all saw growth, with imports from China rising 1.6%, 16.3%, and 9.3% respectively.

Southeast Asia is not only absorbing raw material flows but also rapidly becoming a hub for downstream manufacturing. Ms. Claire highlighted that Vietnam attracted USD 21.5 billion in FDI in H1 2025, up 32.6% year-on-year, with nearly 60% going into manufacturing. “Polyurethane value chains are increasingly localizing in Vietnam, from raw materials to downstream applications,” she noted. Examples include Hyosung’s USD 1 billion bio-BDO project, Anli’s eco-functional synthetic leather production lines, and Pearl Polyurethane’s first Southeast Asian system house.

She emphasized: “In the short term, tariff walls are indeed rising. But globalization will not stop in the long run. Regionalization is the strategic pivot companies must embrace today.”

Attendees praised the depth and foresight of Ms. Claire’s analysis. A representative from a Southeast Asian downstream PU company commented: “Her insights clarified the risks posed by tariffs and carbon footprint policies, while also pointing to opportunities in green production and local integration.”

At its booth, PUdaily also showcased its pricing intelligence, supply-demand analytics, and customized consulting solutions across MDI, TDI, polyether polyols, and other key products. With more than 18 years of industry expertise, PUdaily empowers clients in over 100 countries with reliable market intelligence, enabling smarter decisions in a highly uncertain environment.

PUdaily welcomes all industry partners to Booth B13 to exchange ideas and explore collaboration opportunities.