Improved Supply-demand Pattern Drives PC Price Recovery, Industry Usher in Prosperity Recovery

In April 2026, China’s polycarbonate market presents an optimistic trend with rising prices, tight supply and rebounding downstream demand. Up to mid-April, the spot price of domestic PC has increased by more than 11% month-on-month, hitting a six-month high and confirming a clear turning point of supply and demand.

As a high-performance engineering plastic, PC possesses irreplaceable material characteristics: ultra-high light transmittance, outstanding impact resistance, light weight, excellent weather resistance, flame retardancy and electrical insulation. These superior properties support its wide application in multiple downstream fields. This month, surging demands from new energy vehicles, low-altitude economy, photovoltaic energy storage and high-end building panels have strongly boosted the overall consumption of PC products.

On the supply side, limited new PC production capacity will be put into operation from 2026 to 2027. Domestic manufacturers maintain a high operating rate, while overseas production suspensions further tighten global PC supply. Domestically, the self-sufficiency rate of polycarbonate continues to rise. High-end customized products such as optical-grade, medical-grade and modified flame-retardant PC are accelerating domestic substitution, bringing new opportunities for export business. At present, the PC industry is in a critical period of prosperity recovery. Leading manufacturers will further expand market shares relying on technical advantages and cost control, and the industry will maintain steady development in the long run.