Plastics Industry Association: Plastics Machinery Shipments See Soft Start in 2026

The Plastics Industry Association (“Plastics”) has published the Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES) report for the first quarter of 2026. The report, authored by Plastics Chief Economist Dr. Perc Pineda, estimates North American shipments of primary plastics machinery at USD 273.5 million. This represents a decline of 16.4 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2025. However, shipments were 8.5 percent higher than in the first quarter of 2025.

According to the association, shipments declined across all categories of primary plastics machinery in the first quarter. The sharpest drop was recorded for twin-screw extruders. Pineda noted that shipments in the first quarter are typically lower than in the fourth quarter, as business activity generally slows after a strong year-end period. At the start of 2026, companies also likely adjusted pricing contracts to account for increased tariff costs. This contributed to the double-digit decline in shipments compared with the previous quarter.

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At the same time, the report shows a significant increase in calculated tariffs on U.S. imports of plastics machinery. These rose from USD 39.0 million in the first quarter of 2025 to USD 118.9 million in the first quarter of 2026, more than tripling year over year.

Suppliers’ outlook has also become more pessimistic. According to the CES survey, the share of respondents expecting market conditions to improve over the next twelve months fell from 39 percent to 29 percent.

The Plastics Industry Association states that it represents stakeholders across the entire plastics value chain, including machinery and material suppliers, processors, and recyclers. The association estimates that the U.S. plastics industry it represents employs more than one million people and generates annual revenues of USD 551 billion. Since 1937, Plastics has supported the interests of its members through industry information, events, educational programs, and public policy advocacy.

More information: www.plasticsindustry.org

Plastics Industry Association (Plastics), Washington, DC, USA

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