WASHINGTON, D.C.— The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES) released its second-quarter 2026 report, showing softer shipment activity alongside stronger new orders and broader growth in U.S. equipment investment.
Primary plastics machinery shipments totaled an estimated $235.8 million in Q2. While shipments remained soft, stronger new orders and increased U.S. equipment investment point to a strengthening pipeline for machinery demand.
The report also found:
“The combination of strong industrial equipment orders and modest shipments could be interpreted as a sign of strengthening pipeline demand rather than immediate weakness in market conditions. The lag between orders and shipments helps explain the softer shipment numbers,” said Perc Pineda, Ph.D., Chief Economist at the Plastics Industry Association.
Click here to read the Q2 Plastics Machinery Shipments 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.
