North American Plastics Machinery Shipments Decrease in Q1 2025

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North American plastics machinery shipments declined again in Q1 2025, with injection moulding down sharply despite gains in extrusion. Uncertainty around U.S. trade policy is weighing on investment, though quoting activity shows early signs of recovery.

The Plastics Industry Association's Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES) has released Q1 2025 shipment data for primary plastics machinery in North America, covering injection moulding and extrusion. The total shipment value was estimated at 252.1 million dollars, representing a 17.5 percent decrease from the revised fourth-quarter estimate and a 4.6 percent decline year-over-year.

Plastics machinery shipments declined for the second consecutive quarter in Q1. Quarterly gains in single - and twin-screw extruder shipments — up 17.2 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively — were offset by a 21.8 percent drop in injection moulding shipments. Year-over-year, extruder shipments rose strongly, with single-screw up 31.2 percent and twin-screw up 10.9 percent, while injection molding shipments fell 8.9 percent.

“Shipments appeared to pause in the first quarter as businesses reassessed strategies amid uncertainty surrounding U.S. tariffs and trade policy,” said Plastics Chief Economist Perc Pineda, PhD. “While there appear to be green shoots in plastic product manufacturing, capacity utilization, and the broader manufacturing sector in the first quarter, it is too soon to project the short-term path of equipment shipments as trade policy remains in flux,” Pineda added.

Amid evolving tariff rates and rollout timelines, U.S. plastics equipment imports rose 6.2 percent in the first quarter to 939.4 million dollars, up 5.5 percent from the same period last year. Exports fell by 1.1 percent from the prior quarter to 325.3 million dollars, marking an 18.6 percent year-over-year decline.

In the first-quarter survey of CES members, 62 percent of respondents expected market conditions to remain steady or improve over the next twelve months — down from 83 percent in the previous quarter. However, 42 percent reported an increase in quoting activity, up from 31 percent in the prior survey.

Pineda noted, “One cannot overlook the capacity of plastics processors to meet end-market demand previously filled by imports affected by tariffs. In the first quarter, business investment in industrial equipment rose 4.8 percent (SAAR), with metalworking machinery up 15.8 percent. Increased domestic plastics conversion would have positive ripple effects throughout the industry's supply chain.”

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