China's Caustic Soda Exports Jump 33.6% in 2025

According to the latest data released by China Customs, China's caustic soda trade in December 2025 continued to be characterized by extremely low import volumes and strong export performance.

In December 2025, China imported a total of 760 tonnes of caustic soda. This included 700 tonnes of solid caustic soda and 60 tonnes of liquid caustic soda. During the same month, China exported 369,000 tonnes of caustic soda in total, comprising 59,400 tonnes of solid caustic soda and 309,600 tonnes of liquid caustic soda.

On a cumulative basis, China's caustic soda imports in 2025 amounted to 8,900 tonnes, representing a 45.1% year-on-year decline. Of this total, 8,500 tonnes were solid caustic soda, while 400 tonnes were liquid caustic soda. In contrast, China's cumulative caustic soda exports reached 4.1011 million tonnes in 2025, up 33.6% year on year, highlighting a significant expansion in overseas shipments.

A breakdown by product type shows that cumulative exports of solid caustic soda totaled 671,500 tonnes in 2025, marking a 42.1% year-on-year increase. Exports of liquid caustic soda reached 3.4296 million tonnes, up 32.1% compared with the previous year, accounting for the majority of China's total caustic soda exports.

From the perspective of export destinations, Indonesia, Australia, Chinese Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, and Papua New Guinea ranked as the top five markets for China's liquid caustic soda exports in 2025, with respective shares of 38.3%, 37.4%, 7.3%, 3.0%, and 2.9%. For solid caustic soda, the leading export destinations were Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and Ghana, accounting for 10.5%, 7.9%, 7.5%, 6.1%, and 4.8% of total solid caustic soda exports, respectively.

Overall, the 2025 data underscore China's strengthening position in the global caustic soda market, driven by robust export growth — particularly in liquid caustic soda — while import volumes remained minimal throughout the year.