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.
Based on the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Survey of Professional Forecasters, the U.S. economy is projected to grow by 1.4% in 2025—a one percentage point downward revision from the previous forecast.
Retail sales edged down by 0.1% in April following a 1.5% increase in March. Year-over-year, retail sales rose by 4.7% in April, slightly below the 5.0% gain in March.
Housing starts rose 1.6% in April after a 10.1% decline in March. However, both month-over-month and year-over-year data remain volatile, with starts down 1.7% from April 2024.
Total motor vehicle assemblies remained above 10 million units on a seasonally adjusted annual rate in April (10.4 million). However, motor vehicles and parts manufacturing declined by 1.9% from March and fell 3.9% compared to April 2024.
According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Survey of Business Uncertainty, the sales revenue growth outlook four quarters ahead stood at 3.8% in May—slightly below 3.9% in April and down from 4.4% in March.
U.S. plastics demand was estimated at $22.5 billion in March, unchanged from the previous month, but up 1.2% from a year earlier.
You can access the most recent Plastics Demand Estimate here link: here.
Shipments of plastics and rubber products increased for the second consecutive month in March, reaching $25.0 billion—a 0.2% rise from the previous month and 0.4% above March 2024.
The capacity utilization rate in plastic materials and resin manufacturing held steady, at 79.7% in February and 79.6% in March.
Employment in plastic packaging materials and unlaminated film and sheet manufacturing was estimated at 104,500 in March, up from 100,700 in March 2024.
The Producer Price Index (PPI) for thermoplastic resin and plastic materials rose for the third consecutive month in April, following a 3.9% increase in February and gains of 1.7% and 0.4% in March and April, respectively.
Preliminary trade data shows U.S. plastic products exports rose 3.9% year-over-year in Q1 2025 to $8.1 billion, while imports increased 4.9% to $13.7 billion. As a result, the U.S. trade deficit in plastic products widened by 6.3% to $5.6 billion year-over-year.
The latest Recyclable Plastics Materials Trade Report is now available on the PLASTICS website. U.S. exports rose from the previous quarter but remained below year-ago levels, while imports declined both quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year.
As part of our commitment to keeping you informed and up-to-date on the latest industry trends and economic data, Dr. Pineda will be speaking at the following events:
