New statistics show plastics machinery shipments up 4.1 per cent in North America

The plastics machinery shipments in North America continued to increase in the third quarter, according to a report by the Plastics Industry Association’s (PLASTICS) Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES).

The preliminary estimate of shipments of primary plastics equipment (injection moulding and extrusion) for reporting companies totalled $349.4 million (approx £274.66) in the third quarter.

This was a 4.1 percent increase from the $335.5 million (revised) (approx £263.73) second-quarter shipment.

Injection moulding shipments, in the second quarter, were higher than previously thought and year over year, shipments grew 5.6 percent.

On a quarterly basis, injection moulding shipments increased 2.1 percent, with single-screw and twin-screw extruder shipments continuing double-digit growth of 23.8 percent and 14.2 percent.

Perc Pineda PhD, Chief Economist of PLASTICS, said: “We expect higher shipments in the fourth quarter. We have a tight labour market and U.S. manufacturers, including plastics machinery manufacturers, have been working on production backlogs. As a result, shipments are pushed into the next quarters.”