Washington, D.C. — The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) Chief Economist, Dr. Perc Pineda, has released a new economic analysis highlighting steady U.S. economic expansion in 2025, even as evolving tariff policy and uneven manufacturing investment trends continue to shape the industrial outlook.
Dr. Pineda writes, “Advance estimates from the Bureau of Economic Analysis indicate that the U.S. economy expanded at a 1.4% annual rate in the fourth quarter of 2025. For the full year, growth is estimated at 2.2%. Although growth moderated, it remained resilient, suggesting the economy largely withstood the uncertainties associated with higher tariffs. The latest BEA data continues to show expansion in both household spending and business activity. Annually, personal consumption expenditures (PCE) rose 2.2%, and business investment spending expanded by 5.9%.”
Click here to read the full analysis on the PLASTICS blog.
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.
