Data updated: 2026-10-08
Caprolactam Trade Data to 2025 with a 2026 Monthly Update
Executive summary: U.S. caprolactam trade remained export-led in 2025: exports reached $75.70 million and 47.70 million kg, while imports were $3.21 million and 1.45 million kg. The latest 12-month Comtrade series, from July 2025 through June 2026, shows a higher import unit value than export unit value on a trade-weighted basis, but both flows are volatile month to month. For procurement and market-analysis teams, these figures are customs-derived unit values, not spot-market quotations; they are best used to benchmark trade flows, supplier exposure and landed-cost signals.
Latest 12 months
The latest complete 12-month window available in this run is July 2025 through June 2026. It covers U.S. imports and exports reported under HS 293371, with the world as partner. Monthly value is reported in U.S. dollars and net weight in kilograms. The unit value is calculated as reported trade value divided by net weight converted to tonnes. It should not be read as a quoted domestic caprolactam price, because product mix, contract timing, destination and shipment composition can change the result.
| Month | Imports (USD) | Import unit value (USD/t) | Exports (USD) | Export unit value (USD/t) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07 | $250,772 | $1,921.62 | $4,469,504 | $2,277.91 |
| 2025-08 | $172,568 | $2,396.78 | $7,751,016 | $1,407.65 |
| 2025-09 | $147,400 | $2,541.38 | $6,042,020 | $1,517.11 |
| 2025-10 | $272,276 | $2,135.50 | $6,698,291 | $1,737.87 |
| 2025-11 | $129,946 | $2,210.42 | $9,839,407 | $1,333.07 |
| 2025-12 | $86,200 | $2,844.51 | $6,492,372 | $1,617.12 |
| 2026-01 | $89,552 | $2,350.20 | $6,344,056 | $1,550.89 |
| 2026-02 | $330,337 | $2,351.15 | $7,650,419 | $1,685.97 |
| 2026-03 | $35,400 | $3,540.00 | $6,815,982 | $2,114.35 |
| 2026-04 | $50,491 | $2,838.81 | $7,950,153 | $1,732.67 |
| 2026-05 | $123,000 | $3,075.00 | $4,661,451 | $2,098.52 |
| 2026-06 | $269,200 | $4,096.60 | $4,075,547 | $2,400.24 |
Source: UN Comtrade public monthly preview, U.S. reporter, HS 293371, world partner. Each monthly value is linked in the source list below. The 12-month trade-weighted unit value is $2,479.92/t for imports and $1,674.22/t for exports.
What changed in the monthly series?
The clearest signal is the widening difference between U.S. import and export unit values late in the window. Import unit value reached $4,096.60/t in June 2026, the highest monthly import observation in this 12-month set, while export unit value reached $2,400.24/t in the same month. Because the underlying quantities are relatively small in several import months, a single shipment can materially affect the monthly average. The June observation should therefore be treated as a customs-unit-value signal to investigate, not as proof of a generalized market price increase.
Exports were larger and more continuous than imports across the window. The highest monthly export value was $9.84 million in November 2025, while the lowest was $4.08 million in June 2026. Export unit value was lowest in November at $1,333.07/t and highest in June at $2,400.24/t. This combination—lower November unit value followed by higher spring 2026 unit values—can help trade and procurement teams identify months that deserve a shipment-level review, including grade, destination and contract mix.
For feedstock context, caprolactam is an intermediate used in Nylon-6 production and is connected to the broader chain that includes benzene. A trade-flow benchmark should therefore be read alongside physical supply, downstream operating rates and contract terms rather than used alone for a purchase decision.
Annual U.S. trade baseline
The annual series provides a longer comparison point. U.S. exports fell from $73.54 million in 2023 to $47.32 million in 2024, then rose to $75.70 million in 2025. Export net weight moved from 42.73 million kg in 2023 to 24.60 million kg in 2024 and 47.70 million kg in 2025. The 2025 export unit value was $1,586.92/t, below the 2024 level of $1,923.36/t because the 2025 weight increase was proportionally larger than the value increase.
Imports were $13.30 million and 6.87 million kg in 2024, then $3.21 million and 1.45 million kg in 2025. The resulting 2025 import unit value was $2,215.54/t, above the 2024 value of $1,936.48/t. The 2022 annual import record has no reported net weight in the retrieved Comtrade preview, so no import unit value is calculated for that year. This is a data limitation, not a zero-volume observation.
| Year | Flow | Trade value (USD) | Net weight (kg) | Unit value (USD/t) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Import | $21,234,439 | 12,133,948 | $1,750.00 |
| 2020 | Export | $75,267,060 | 61,777,768 | $1,218.35 |
| 2021 | Import | $15,632,032 | 6,434,416 | $2,429.44 |
| 2021 | Export | $64,911,745 | 31,275,646 | $2,075.47 |
| 2022 | Import | $9,140,730 | n/r | n/r |
| 2022 | Export | $53,489,089 | 21,255,636 | $2,516.47 |
| 2023 | Import | $3,897,611 | 1,475,283 | $2,641.94 |
| 2023 | Export | $73,537,109 | 42,729,535 | $1,720.99 |
| 2024 | Import | $13,303,771 | 6,870,081 | $1,936.48 |
| 2024 | Export | $47,317,953 | 24,601,684 | $1,923.36 |
| 2025 | Import | $3,205,216 | 1,446,698 | $2,215.54 |
| 2025 | Export | $75,698,093 | 47,701,384 | $1,586.92 |
Source: UN Comtrade public annual preview, U.S. reporter, HS 293371, world partner. “n/r” means net weight was not reported, so a unit value cannot be calculated.
Implications for procurement and market analysis
First, the U.S. balance is structurally export-led in the retrieved annual data. In 2025, reported export value was more than twenty times reported import value, and export weight was roughly thirty-three times import weight. That does not by itself identify the destination mix or the commercial reason for each shipment, but it does indicate that a U.S.-focused supply review should start with export flows and destination-level detail rather than rely only on import offers.
Second, unit values need a quality-control step before they are used in a pricing model. The import series contains several low-volume months, so the monthly average can move sharply. A buyer comparing a June 2026 import unit value with a November 2025 export unit value would be comparing different flows, shipment mixes and likely commercial conditions. The better workflow is to retain the value, weight, flow, month and HS code together, then supplement the benchmark with supplier quotations, contract terms and logistics costs.
Third, the monthly update is useful for detecting changes sooner than annual data. The 2026 export unit value rose from $1,550.89/t in January to $2,400.24/t in June, while the import unit value moved from $2,350.20/t to $4,096.60/t. These are directional customs signals, not a forecast. Teams planning Nylon-6-related purchasing can combine them with the relevant adipic acid and upstream feedstock pages, while buyers needing a tailored country, partner or product-grade view can request a sample report or custom market study.
Data limitations and methodology
This article uses the UN Comtrade public preview API for HS 293371, with the United States as reporter and partner code 0 (world). Annual values cover 2020–2025. The monthly update covers July 2025–June 2026, the latest 12-month window retrieved in this run. Net weight is treated as kilograms, and unit value is calculated as trade value divided by net tonnes. No interpolated or equal-step price series is used.
Customs unit values can differ from market quotations because they aggregate transactions with different grades, origins, destinations, contract dates, freight terms and shipment sizes. The annual 2022 U.S. import record is retained for trade value, but its missing net weight prevents a unit-value calculation. The figures should therefore support screening, trend review and follow-up research—not replace a negotiated offer or a product-specific market dataset.
Sources
All links below were checked before publication. The Comtrade URLs are the exact endpoints used for the corresponding rows.
Annual Comtrade sources
- 2020 imports | 2020 exports
- 2021 imports | 2021 exports
- 2022 imports | 2022 exports
- 2023 imports | 2023 exports
- 2024 imports | 2024 exports
- 2025 imports | 2025 exports
Monthly Comtrade sources
- 2025-07 imports | exports
- 2025-08 imports | exports
- 2025-09 imports | exports
- 2025-10 imports | exports
- 2025-11 imports | exports
- 2025-12 imports | exports
- 2026-01 imports | exports
- 2026-02 imports | exports
- 2026-03 imports | exports
- 2026-04 imports | exports
- 2026-05 imports | exports
- 2026-06 imports | exports