Plastics machinery shipments by North American suppliers rose again in the third quarter of 2015, albeit at a slower pace, according to the latest figures released by SPI: thePlastics Industry Trade Association’s (Washington, D.C. / USA; www.plasticsindustry.org) Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES). The data revealed that shipments of primary plastics equipment (injection and blow moulding machines, single- and twin-screw extruders) totalled nearly USD 301m, a small gain of 0.8% from Q2. However, it represented a drop of 4.6% when compared with the same quarter in 2014. For the year to date, the total value of shipments is virtually unchanged from the same period last year. New orders for auxiliary equipment (robotics, temperature control, materials handling, etc) totalled nearly USD 119m in Q3, a jump of 9.8% year-on-year.

CES analyst Bill Wood said the plastics industry will continue to be a growth leader in the US manufacturing sector, pointing to the country’s rising household incomes, accelerating residential construction and forecast economic growth of 2.5% in 2016. “Stronger consumer spending in the coming months will offset the drag on some manufacturers caused by cheaper oil and a stronger dollar,” Wood said.

US plastics machinery suppliers were optimistic about demand in the coming months, according to CES’ quarterly survey on market conditions and future expectations. For the next quarter, 89% respondents expect a steady or improving market, while 94% expect stable or better conditions for the year ahead.

On a regional basis, the outlook was steady to weaker for Europe and Asia but steady to better for North and Latin America. Mexico was the only market where the majority of survey respondents expected conditions to improve in the coming year. With regard to major end-use markets, a majority believe that the medical sector will improve in the next 12 months and the automotive sector will see steady-to-better demand. The rest are predicted to remain stable.