🇺🇸 United States imports of plastic waste: 2024 trade data
Imports of plastic waste by the United States reached $321.5 million in 2024 (479.5 thousand tonnes). That makes it the largest importer of this product worldwide, out of 188 countries. That is 16% more than in 2023. Across 2017-2024 the long-run trend was broadly stable.
Public statistics, latest reported year 2024. Values in US dollars.
Imports of plastic waste by year, 2017-2024
Hover or tap a year for detail.
Year by year
| Year | Value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $321.5M | 479.5K t |
| 2023 | $277.3M | 440.4K t |
| 2022 | $340.5M | 429.3K t |
| 2021 | $331.4M | 456.8K t |
| 2020 | $209.9M | 406.8K t |
| 2019 | $224.7M | 381.2K t |
| 2018 | $244.2M | 429.8K t |
| 2017 | $226.9M | 417.8K t |
Where the United States imports plastic waste from
The largest suppliers were Canada (26%), Thailand (13%), Mexico (13%). Among the main suppliers, Japan grew fastest (+192% on the year before).
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇦 Canada | $83.9M | 26% |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | $42.8M | 13% |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | $40.8M | 13% |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | $39.8M | 12% |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | $20.9M | 6.5% |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | $12.3M | 3.8% |
| 🇭🇳 Honduras | $10.8M | 3.4% |
| 🇳🇬 Nigeria | $8.5M | 2.6% |
| Taiwan | $8.4M | 2.6% |
| 🇮🇳 India | $7.4M | 2.3% |
Types of plastic waste under HS 3915
| 3915.90 | Plastics n.e.c. in heading no. 3915: waste, parings and scrap | 79% |
| 3915.10 | Ethylene polymers: waste, parings and scrap | 13% |
| 3915.30 | Vinyl chloride polymers: waste, parings and scrap | 7.7% |
| 3915.20 | Styrene polymers: waste, parings and scrap | 0.6% |
Codes and full descriptions: HS heading 3915.
Average import price of plastic waste
The average declared value was about $0.67 per kg, 60% above the world average of $0.42. This usually points to higher-grade or processed goods.
Declared value divided by weight, all 2024 shipments. Prices per shipment and per company are in EximDataX.
The United States also exports plastic waste
The United States exported $308.3 million of plastic waste in 2024 (597.2 thousand tonnes). That makes it the largest exporter of this product worldwide, out of 178 countries. The largest buyer markets were Canada (22%), Vietnam (19%), Mexico (15%). Among the main buyer markets, Vietnam grew fastest (+197% on the year before).
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇦 Canada | $68.5M | 22% |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | $58.3M | 19% |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | $47.1M | 15% |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $39.3M | 13% |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | $19.8M | 6.4% |
| 🇮🇳 India | $19.1M | 6.2% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $8.3M | 2.7% |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | $5.5M | 1.8% |
| Taiwan | $4.3M | 1.4% |
| 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | $3.2M | 1% |
Who is behind these numbers in the United States?
Public statistics stop at country totals and the last published year. EximDataX shows the shipment records underneath: the companies, dates, quantities and declared values, updated weekly.
Shipment records are in the platform
Tell us what you trade and we will show you the latest records on a live call.
Direct customs feed: shipment-level records from the official customs source.
Updated weekly on EximDataX (some markets daily), while public statistics stop at 2024.
Source: CEPII BACI (reconciled UN Comtrade data), HS 2017 edition, release 202601, Etalab Open Licence 2.0. Annual values in US dollars at the customs border; quantities in tonnes where reported. HS 3915: Waste, parings and scrap, of plastics.
Plastic waste trade in the United States: questions
What is the value of plastic waste imported by the United States?
The United States imported plastic waste worth $321.5 million in 2024 (479.5 thousand tonnes).
Where does the United States import plastic waste from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were Canada (26%), Thailand (13%), Mexico (13%).
What is the average import price of plastic waste in the United States?
The average declared import value was about $0.67 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $0.42 per kg.
Does the United States export plastic waste?
Yes. The United States exported plastic waste worth $308.3 million in 2024, mainly to Canada, Vietnam, Mexico.
What is the HS code for plastic waste?
Plastic waste falls under HS heading 3915 (Waste, parings and scrap, of plastics). The six-digit codes under it split the product by type.
How can I find the companies trading plastic waste with the United States?
These public statistics stop at country level. EximDataX has a direct customs feed for the United States with shipment-level records, updated weekly, where you can see the importers and exporters by name.
Plastic waste trade in other countries
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