There is a clear and persistent regional pricing hierarchy that structurally disadvantages buyers in Malaysia compared with those in China and Vietnam.
Three findings
- Highest costs for Malaysian buyersThe CFR SEA non-dutiable index, the duty-free or local and intra-ASEAN price for Southeast Asian buyers including Malaysia, is the most expensive resin on the chart for the whole four and a half years. In early 2026 it spiked to nearly USD1,800 per tonne.
- China’s cost advantageCompetitors in China buy at the CFR China all-origins rate, consistently the lowest tier on the chart and often hundreds of dollars a tonne cheaper than the SEA non-dutiable rate.
- Vietnam’s middle groundCompetitors in Vietnam also source resin at notably lower base costs than the SEA non-dutiable rate. The Vietnam index largely mirrors the lower CFR SEA dutiable index.
