Russia's polymer output rises 1% in 2025 as consumption falls 2.3%

Russia's polymer production and consumption diverge in 2025

Russia's output of the five major large-tonnage polymers rose 1% in 2025, while domestic consumption of the same materials fell 2.3% to 6.69 million tonnes, according to TASS, which published the figures from Moscow on February 9. The split between rising production and weakening demand points to a domestic market that is absorbing less polymer even as plants keep producing more.

Production edges up 1%

According to TASS, production of the five base large-tonnage polymers increased by 1% year on year in 2025. The gain is modest, and it stands in contrast to the fall in domestic use recorded over the same period. For producers, holding output slightly higher while home demand contracts raises a practical question: where does the extra volume go. When the home market cannot take additional material, the balance typically shifts toward exports or builds up as stock.

Consumption falls to 6.69 million tonnes

Consumption of the five large-tonnage polymers reached 6.69 million tonnes in 2025, 2.3% below the 2024 level, TASS reported. A decline of that size across the main volume polymers usually reflects softer activity in the sectors that consume them, including construction, packaging and manufacturing, although TASS did not break the fall down by end use. For traders, the headline figure of 6.69 million tonnes sets the size of a domestic market that contracted in 2025.

• Production of the five major large-tonnage polymers: up 1% in 2025 (TASS).
• Consumption: 6.69 million tonnes, down 2.3% from 2024 (TASS).
• Figures reported by TASS from Moscow on February 9.

What the divergence means for trade

When production rises and domestic consumption falls in the same year, the resulting surplus has to move into exports or into inventory. For exporters, that implies more Russian polymer looking for buyers in foreign markets, which can add pressure to prices in the regions Russia supplies. For companies importing polymer into Russia, a shrinking domestic market leaves less room for foreign material and sharpens competition with local output.

The scale of the shift is limited for now: a 1% rise in production set against a 2.3% fall in consumption. But the direction is clear. Supply is growing faster than the home market can absorb, and the 6.69 million tonnes consumed in 2025 marks a lower base than the year before. Whether that surplus clears through exports will depend on how competitive Russian material is abroad, and on demand in the packaging, construction and manufacturing chains that drive polymer use.