Market Analysis
Product Positioning
Competitor Monitoring
Find Global Buyers
Find Contact Information
Company Comparison
Supply Chain Optimization
Email Marketing
Customer Management
Blog
FAQs
About Topease
Agency Program
Topease participated in ICIF China 2026 in Shanghai from September 15–17, meeting chemical companies and trade professionals to discuss overseas market expansion, buyer development, and the growing role of trade intelligence in a changing global chemical industry.
The global chemical industry is entering 2026 under a complex mix of excess capacity, uneven demand, changing trade flows, energy and feedstock pressures, and supply-chain disruption. Deloitte’s 2026 Chemical Industry Outlook identifies persistent overcapacity, soft demand, and geopolitical and trade uncertainty as major challenges for chemical companies, while S&P Global expects demand destruction and price volatility to continue shaping chemical markets through the second half of 2026.
For chemical producers and exporters, these conditions make market selection and customer development increasingly data-driven. The question is no longer only where demand exists, but where products are actually being imported, which companies are actively buying, who supplies them, and how those relationships can be developed.
Topease joins ICIF China 2026
The 23rd China International Chemical Industry Fair (ICIF China 2026) was held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre from September 15 to 17, bringing together companies across energy and petrochemicals, basic chemicals, specialty chemicals, new materials, chemical equipment, intelligent manufacturing, safety and environmental protection, packaging and logistics, and related services. The exhibition is organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Chemicals Sub-Council and China National Chemical Information Centre among its co-organizers.
Topease participated at Booth E5G74, where the team met with chemical companies, exporters, and trade professionals throughout the three-day event. The discussions focused on practical questions surrounding international business development: which overseas markets show relevant demand, how to identify companies that are actively importing similar products, how to understand competitive supply relationships, and how to reach the right business contacts.
These questions reflect a broader shift across the chemical industry. As global supply chains continue to adjust to excess capacity, trade-policy changes, logistics disruption, and regional cost differences, companies need more granular market information to support commercial decisions. PwC describes energy-price volatility, trade tensions, shipping disruption, and industrial policy as structural features of the current operating environment, while S&P Global highlights changing trade flows and regional competitiveness across major chemical markets.
From market uncertainty to buyer intelligence
Chemical market research provides a broad view of market size, growth outlook, major applications, and industry trends. Trade data adds transaction-level visibility into international purchasing activity, helping companies connect market potential with actual trade flows.
For an exporter evaluating a new market, trade intelligence can provide visibility into several layers of commercial activity:
- Market demand: countries and regions importing the product and changes in import activity over time
- Buyer activity: companies associated with relevant import transactions and their purchasing frequency
- Product demand: product descriptions, HS Codes, quantities, values, and shipment patterns where available
- Supplier relationships: existing suppliers, source countries, and changes in sourcing patterns
- Buyer qualification: companies with recent or recurring import activity that may warrant further commercial research
- Contact intelligence: relevant business contacts associated with identified target companies
This creates a more connected view of the market, moving from market demand to actual trade activity, from trade activity to companies, and from companies to business contacts.
For chemical exporters operating in markets shaped by excess capacity, changing sourcing patterns, and uneven regional demand, this layered approach can make international customer development more focused. The objective is to connect market signals, shipment activity, buyer information, supplier relationships, and contact intelligence within one research process.
A five-step approach to overseas buyer development with Topease
At ICIF China 2026, overseas customer development was one of the recurring topics discussed with the Topease team. For chemical exporters evaluating new markets, the process can start with a simple product profile and develop into a structured view of markets, buyers, supply relationships, and relevant business contacts.
The Topease E-Platform connects these stages through global trade data, company intelligence, contact intelligence, and AI-powered trade research, allowing exporters to move from market signals to targeted customer development within one workflow.
Define the product precisely
Chemical products can appear under different commercial descriptions, applications, grades, and tariff classifications. The process therefore starts with a clear product profile based on the appropriate HS Code, product descriptions, and related keywords.
Within Topease, exporters can search global trade activity by product and HS Code, while GTminds can expand product-related keywords and assist with HS Code analysis. This helps establish a more relevant search scope before evaluating markets or potential buyers.
Identify markets with actual import activity
With the product scope defined, exporters can compare international trade flows to identify markets where relevant products are already being imported.
Topease provides trade data across 232 countries and regions, allowing users to examine shipment activity, import values, quantities, product-level demand, and changes over time. This creates a market shortlist based on observable trade activity rather than market size alone.
Identify active buyers
The next stage moves from countries to companies.
Topease E-Platform enables exporters to identify companies associated with relevant import activity and examine purchasing patterns such as shipment frequency, product information, sourcing trends, and historical trade activity. This helps narrow a broad market into a more focused group of companies with demonstrated purchasing behavior.
Understand buyer and supplier relationships
Buyer activity becomes more meaningful when viewed within the wider supply chain.
Topease can connect buyer activity with supplier information and sourcing patterns, helping exporters understand which suppliers and source countries are already serving a market. Historical purchasing and supplier changes can also provide additional context for evaluating potential opportunities and competitive supply structures.
Find relevant contacts and start targeted outreach
Once potential buyers have been identified and evaluated, the process moves from company research to customer development.
Topease integrates trade intelligence with 770M+ Business Contact Profiles, enabling sales teams to move from target companies to relevant business contacts. GTminds can then support research, personalized email preparation, and follow-up workflows, connecting buyer intelligence with the next stage of outreach.
Together, these five stages create a connected path:
This approach brings multiple layers of trade intelligence into one workflow. Topease currently provides access to 11B+ trade records across 232 countries and regions, 450M+ company profiles and business records, and 770M+ Business Contact Profiles, giving exporters a broader data foundation for international market research and customer development.
From trade data to global customer development
The conversations at ICIF China 2026 reflected a broader challenge facing chemical exporters around the world: finding growth opportunities in a market where demand, supply, costs, regulations, and trade routes are changing at different speeds across regions.
Global chemical markets will continue to evolve through the rest of 2026. Deloitte expects demand to remain uneven across end markets, while structural overcapacity continues to pressure parts of the industry. S&P Global likewise points to shifting trade flows, capacity rationalization, and macroeconomic uncertainty as important themes for chemical markets this year.
For exporters, this makes timely and product-level trade intelligence increasingly relevant to international market development.
At ICIF China 2026, Topease brought that perspective directly into conversations with chemical companies: use trade data to understand where products are moving, identify the companies participating in those flows, examine the supply relationships around them, and turn market intelligence into a more focused customer-development process.
Topease will continue supporting companies across the chemical industry and other sectors as they research global markets, identify potential buyers, and develop international business opportunities through trade intelligence.
Turn trade intelligence into overseas growthIdentify importing markets, active buyers and supply relationships for your chemical products on one platform.
Find markets with Topease →
