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Industry News
COVID-19, the Fed funds rate, and the U.S. Plastics Industry
March 17, 2020 "Is the economy experiencing a financial meltdown necessitating drastic action from the Fed? The answer is a resounding no – the U.S. is not in a financial crisis. However, central banks around the world reacted proactively to ensure that liquidity in the financial markets is not compromised as economic activity slows due to the coronavirus (COVID-19)." -
Industry News
We Have A Waste Problem. We Need Solutions, Not Sensationalism
February 28, 2020 There are a number of things to object to when it comes to Sergio Peçanha’s recent Washington Post column about plastics: the sensationalist, misleading headline; the suggestion that, because the U.S. is the 20th biggest culprit when it comes to the mismanagement of plastic waste, it constitutes a major player in this arena, when close to 90% of mismanaged plastic waste comes from the top five countries; and on and on and on. -
Industry News
Coronavirus and The U.S. Plastics Industry Supply Chain
February 11, 2020 While we cannot confirm today that the coronavirus has already impacted the U.S. plastics industry supply chain, it is reasonable to expect that if the coronavirus crisis in China continues and escalates, it will negatively impact the U.S. plastics industry. For business continuity reasons, U.S. plastics companies need to look at their current supply chain involving China and—as a precautionary measure—examine alternative supply sources. -
Industry News
PERCspective: Counting Down to 2020
December 17, 2019 Trade friction between the U.S. and China, Brexit and the debate over the USMCA all collaborated to make 2019 a year of uncertainty. But fear not; it is most likely that this triad of issues will be resolved in 2020. -
Industry News
PERCspective: Medical Plastics Are Essential To Saving Lives
November 1, 2019 Removing plastics from healthcare would put patients and healthcare professionals at risk. Currently, plastic is the best material in terms of cost-performance ratio for the healthcare industry, but also, it bears repeating, it enables the provision of the safest, fastest medical care available today. Healthcare costs would be higher if plastics were excluded from healthcare. Infections would be more common and more difficult to prevent. There are economic, environmental and scientific reasons why plastics are in medicine and healthcare today, but the most important might be the moral reason: plastics save lives. -
Industry News
The Value of Value Added
September 17, 2019 There isn’t any material today that is as cost-accessible to manufacturers and consumers as plastics. Clearly consumers find value in plastics, otherwise, the demand would be zero, and there would no reason to make them. -
Industry News
PLASTICS Names Industry and Association Veteran as President and Chief Executive Officer
July 31, 2019 The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) has named Tony Radoszewski president and chief executive officer effective September 16, 2019. Radoszewski, a plastics industry veteran with nearly 40 years of experience in the field, joins PLASTICS after serving since 2006 as the president of the Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI). -
Industry News
Plastics Exports Up, Imports Down in First Quarter
June 18, 2019 In the first quarter, plastics industry exports topped $15.8 billion—a 1.0% increase from the previous quarter and 0.7% above the first quarter last year based on data from the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC). Imports totaled $13.8 billion resulting in a trade surplus of $2.0 billion. -
Industry News
The USMCA: Too Late to Turn Back Now?
April 23, 2019 As far as the U.S. plastics industry is concerned, the effect of the USMCA is net positive. It would be unproductive—let alone cumbersome—to go back to the drawing board to redraft and renegotiate a trade deal.