The Perc Report includes monthly highlights on the most recent economic and plastics industry data along with recent activities, articles, and blogs which you may have missed.
The U.S. economy expanded by 2.8% in 2024, with durable and nondurable goods consumption increasing by 3.3% and 1.9%, respectively.
Business investment in industrial equipment rose by 1.2% to $262.5 billion in Q4 2024.
The manufacturing sector recorded a 0.2% month-over-month decline in January but a 1.2% year-over-year increase.
Motor vehicle assemblies declined for a second consecutive month, falling from 9.83 million units in December to 9.07 million in January.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s January Survey of Business Uncertainty projects sales revenue growth of 3.8% over the next four quarters.
U.S. plastics demand was estimated at $22.1 billion in December, marking a 1.4% increase from the $21.8 billion estimate in November. Year-over-year, plastics demand decreased by 1.9%.
You can access the most recent Plastics Demand Estimate here link: here.
Unemployment in plastics and rubber products manufacturing jumped to 8.2% in January. The unusually high rate was likely transitory.
The capacity utilization rate in plastics and rubber products manufacturing declined for the second consecutive month to 70.5% in January.
Preliminary trade data shows that the U.S. had a $23,694 million trade surplus in resin in 2024, down 0.4% from 2023.
Food and beverage retail sales at grocery stores – a key indicator for plastics packaging – rose 0.2% in January to $76.2 billion, up 3.9% from the same month last year.
The Producer Price Index for plastics packaging film and sheet – coextruded single-web for flexible packaging – fell 0.8% in January but was up 3.5% year over year.
The latest Recyclable Plastics Materials Trade report is now available on the PLASTICS website. In 2024, the U.S. trade deficit in recyclable plastics materials increased in dollar value and quantity.
As part of our commitment to keeping you informed and up-to-date on the latest industry trends and economic data, I will be speaking at the following events:
PLASTIMAGEN | March 11-47, 2025 | Mexico City
Association of Rotational Molders Executive Forum | March 25-26, 2025 | Scottsdale, AZ
