China April Benzene Imports Hit 440,600 Tons, Beat Forecasts

China's pure benzene imports in April 2026 significantly outpaced market forecasts, reaching 440,600 metric tons, official customs data showed, defying earlier projections that had widely anticipated volumes falling below 400,000 tons.

The April figure represents a decline of only 3.95% from March levels, a far shallower drop than traders had anticipated amid geopolitical tensions and preliminary South Korean customs data that had pointed to steeper reductions.

India Surges To Second-Largest Supplier As South Korean Volumes Ease

South Korea retained its position as China's top benzene supplier in April, though shipments from the country fell by more than 40,000 metric tons from the prior month to 186,700 tons, according to Chinese customs statistics.

The shortfall was largely offset by a sharp rise in Indian exports. Shipments of pure benzene from India to China jumped by nearly 50,000 metric tons month-on-month, catapulting the country to second-largest import source with a share of close to 19%.

Brunei and Thailand also recorded month-on-month increases in benzene exports to China in April, partially compensating for volume declines from Indonesia and Japan.

Zhejiang Leads In Domestic Receiving Destinations

By receiving province, Zhejiang topped the rankings with a 38.08% share of total pure benzene