WASHINGTON, D.C.— The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) has released the Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES) report for the First Quarter of 2026, authored by PLASTICS Chief Economist Dr. Perc Pineda. The report finds shipments of primary plastics machinery in North America totaled an estimated $273.5 million in the first quarter, down 16.4% from the fourth quarter of 2025, but up 8.5% year-over-year.
“Shipments declined across all categories of primary plastics machinery in the first quarter, with twin-screw extrusion recording the largest decline,” said PLASTICS Chief Economist Perc Pineda, PhD. “First-quarter shipments are usually lower than fourth-quarter shipments, as business momentum tends to slow following a typically busy final quarter of the previous year. At the turn of 2026, businesses likely adjusted pricing contracts to reflect higher tariff costs, contributing to the double-digit reversal in shipments.”
The report also found that calculated duties on U.S. plastics machinery imports more than tripled in the first quarter, increasing from $39.0 million in the first quarter of 2025 to $118.9 million in the first quarter of 2026. CES survey results also showed supplier optimism softened, with the share of respondents expecting market conditions to improve over the next 12 months falling from 39% to 29%.
Click here to read the report.
About the Plastics Industry Association
The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) supports the entire plastics supply chain, including Equipment Suppliers, Material Suppliers, Processors, and Recyclers, representing over one million workers in our $551 billion U.S. industry. PLASTICS advances the priorities of our members who are dedicated to investing in technologies that improve capabilities and advances in recycling and sustainability and providing essential products that allow for the protection and safety of our lives. Since 1937, PLASTICS has been working to make its members, and the eighth largest U.S. manufacturing industry, more globally competitive while supporting circularity through educational initiatives, industry-leading insights and events, convening opportunities and policy advocacy, including the largest plastics trade show in the Americas, NPE: The Plastics Show.
