Issue No.  27  |   July 7,  2026

This Week:

🤝  Progress on PLASTICS + SPE Integration

📢  PLASTICS Supports a Stronger USMCA

🏭  Shape America's Next 250 Years

🌎  Proposed Section 301 Tariffs 

📢  Lisa Kendrick to Keynote OCS CON 2026 

 🤝  Progress on PLASTICS + SPE Integration

More than 1,000 members shared feedback on bringing Plastics Industry Association and Society of Plastics Engineers closer together—and the message is clear: there is strong support for a more connected industry platform that delivers real value.

What we heard

• Strong support for a unified industry voice
• Clear alignment between advocacy and technical expertise
• Strong demand for ROI through events, insights, and workforce training
• Continued importance of preserving each organization’s identity and volunteer communities

👉 To read more about the progress, click here.

📢 PLASTICS Supports a Stronger USMCA

The Plastics Industry Association is urging continued collaboration among the United States, Mexico, and Canada as the review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) moves forward.

A strong USMCA provides the certainty manufacturers need to invest, innovate, and strengthen North American supply chains. Mexico and Canada remain the two largest export markets for U.S. plastics products, supporting American manufacturing, high-quality jobs, and industries that rely on plastics every day.

👉 Visit the PLASTICS News page to read the full press release. 

🏭 Shape America's Next 250 Years

In a new article, PLASTICS President and CEO Matt Seaholm explores how the plastics industry has helped drive American innovation for more than a century—and why it will continue to play a vital role in the nation's future.

The history of plastic is the story of American innovation. Let’s celebrate the industries, inventors and workers who helped build the nation we know today.  The plastics industry is proud of its part in the American story and is ready to help shape what comes next. The entrepreneurial spirit of the past 250 years will drive the next 250 years.

👉 Visit the PLASTICS News page to read Matt's article. 

🌎 Proposed Section 301 Tariffs 

The U.S. Trade Representative has proposed new Section 301 tariffs tied to forced labor enforcement that could affect a significant share of U.S. plastics imports.

PLASTICS Chief Economist Perc Pineda, PhD, breaks down the proposal, highlights which plastic resins and products may be exempt, and explains what the changes could mean for supply chains and the plastics industry.

👉Read Perc's analysis for a detailed breakdown of the proposal, key exemptions, and what comes next.

 📢 Lisa Kendrick to Keynote OCS CON 2026

Operation Clean Sweep® (OCS) has announced that Lisa Kendrick, Plastics Director at ExxonMobil, will deliver the keynote address at OCS CON 2026 this October in Houston, Texas.

Her address, "Advancing Resin Loss Prevention Through Ownership and Action," will challenge attendees to

look beyond basic compliance and build a culture of shared accountability to achieve zero plastic resin loss.

👉For more information and to register, please click here. 

📆 Mark Your Calendar

📅 Plastic Sustainability Executive Forum | July 14–15, 2026 | Toronto, Canada | Summer Forum: Addressing a Growing Concern of Microplastics & Material Stewardship. To request your invitation to attend, click here.

🎤 NPE2027 Call for Speakers | Proposals due August 14, 2026 | NPE2027 is now accepting speaker proposals for its education program. Industry leaders, innovators, and subject matter experts are invited to share insights and expertise with a global audience at NPE2027, taking place May 3–7, 2027, in Orlando, Florida. To submit a proposal or learn more, click here.

📅 National Plastics Conference | Sept. 14–17, 2026 | Houston, TX | The exclusive event built by industry, for industry returns. Register now for Early Bird Pricing.

📅 OCS CON 2026 | Oct. 14–16, 2026 | Houston, TX | Hosted by Operation Clean Sweep, OCS CON brings the full plastic value chain together in efforts towards eliminating the loss of plastic to the environment.  Early Bird Registration now open.  

📅 Injection Molding Innovation Summit | Oct. 22, 2026 | Cleveland, OH |  Hosted by the Society of Plastics Engineers, the event will explore practical applications of AI, sustainability, materials, tooling, and other innovations shaping the future of injection molding. PLASTICS members can register at the SPE member rate using code IMIS-PLASTICS. Click here to register.

📅 Plastic Sustainability Executive Forum | Nov. 11–12, 2026 | Atlanta, GA | Fall Forum: Backing the Vision: Investment, Infrastructure, and the Economics of Advanced Recycling. To request your invitation to attend, click here. 

📅 Vinyl Week 2026 | Dec. 8–11, 2026 | Charlotte, NC | This one-of-a-kind gathering brings together the Vinyl Compounders Conference and the Vinyl Sustainability Summit for four days of leadership, networking, and forward-looking insights.

 📅 NPE2027 – The Plastics Show | May 3–7, 2027 | Orlando, FL | The largest plastics trade show in the Americas, bringing together 51,000+ professionals from 130+ countries to explore innovations in automation, sustainability, and advanced materials. Featuring 2,200+ exhibitors and on-site ANTEC® technical sessions. Registration opens September 2026. Learn more. 

🏆 Make It a Team Win!

Know someone on your team who should see this?

Feel free to forward this email to your coworkers!  Since your company is a member of the Plastics Industry Association, everyone on your team can create their own account and access member benefits.