Industry News
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Industry News
The U.S. Plastics Industry in 2022 in Seven Charts
January 4, 2023 The U.S. plastics industry continued to grow in 2022 against the backdrop of weaker domestic and global economic growth. All told, demand for plastics and plastic products stayed stable in 2022. -
Industry News
Federal Reserve Signals Further Monetary Policy Tightening
December 20, 2022 The Federal Reserve raised the economy’s benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points (bps) at the Federal Open Market Committee’s final meeting in December of this year. The move takes the federal funds rate to a 4.25% to 4.50% target range, which means the U.S. prime rate is now 7.5%. -
Industry News
U.S. Plastics Trade with Latin America Under Free Trade Agreements: Strong Rebound
December 8, 2022 The proximity of the U.S. and Latin America comes with tremendous trade opportunities among countries in this region. Moreover, the U.S. has free trade agreements (FTAs) with 11 countries in Latin America. While trade between the U.S. and Latin America has been growing, COVID-19 caused trade to decrease from 2019 to 2020 as countries locked down. -
Industry News
Plastics Machinery Shipments: In Sync With Slower Economy, Up From 2021
November 21, 2022 The shipments of primary plastics machinery (injection molding and extrusion) in North America slowed in the third quarter according to the statistics compiled and reported by the Plastics Industry Association’s (PLASTICS) Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES). The preliminary estimate of shipment value from reporting companies totaled $353.8 million in the third quarter of 2022. While this is a decrease of 14.4% from the previous quarter, the estimate increased by 6.0% from a year earlier. -
Industry News
CEO Update Profiles Matt Seaholm
November 21, 2022 William Ehart of CEO Update recently profiled Matt Seaholm in an article entitled, "Stronger PLASTICS: Seaholm quickly rehired key staffers." -
Industry News
Plastics Products Manufacturers Continue to Hire: Output Outpacing Employment Gains
November 21, 2022 As the plastics industry responds to increasing demand for plastics, despite low labor supply, it must keep up with demands. For September, the unemployment rate in plastics and rubber products manufacturing was 1.8%—at that rate, the industry was hiring. -
Industry News
Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. Plastics Trade
October 6, 2022 The global economy is beset with persistently high inflation. The appreciation of the U.S. dollar means the depreciation of other currencies, and has implications on global trade, given that the U.S. dollar is the most widely used in international trade. Moreover, adverse geopolitical conditions such as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war have had knock-on effects on merchandise and services trade. -
Industry News
Plastics Machinery Shipments Resilient in the Second Quarter
September 30, 2022 According to the statistics compiled and reported by the Plastics Industry Association’s (PLASTICS) Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES),shipments of primary plastics machinery (injection molding and extrusion) in North America increased in the second quarter. -
Industry News
Plastics Manufacturing Up in July
August 23, 2022 While the first six months of 2022 brought economic contraction causing production to move sideways from February to June, U.S. plastics product manufacturing advanced to a good second-half start. The 1.2% increase in plastic production exhibited in July was an improvement—6.3% higher than a year earlier and higher than the 3.2% increase in U.S. total manufacturing.