Plastic Products Manufacturers NAICS 3261

Mar 27, 2025 - Trump EO Ends Procurement of Paper Straws

• Reversing his predecessor’s attempt to reduce consumption of non-biodegradable single-use plastics, President Trump has signed an executive order aimed at encouraging the federal government and consumers to buy plastic drinking straws, Reuters reported in February. The US government is the biggest buyer of plastic straws. Trump’s EO directs federal agencies to make sure that “paper straws are no longer provided” in agency buildings. The alternative – paper straws – according to the president “don’t work.” Trump has also rescinded a Biden administration policy to end the use of all single-use plastic products on federal lands by 2032.
• On his first day in office, President Trump renewed his promise to impose tariffs on imports to the US, saying he planned to put a 25% tariff on products from Canada and Mexico and an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods on February 1, The New York Times reports. The US is a net importer of plastic products, with China, Canada, and Mexico accounting for about 64% of plastic product imports and 66% of US exports. Tariff hikes would make it more expensive for manufacturers to import needed components and raw materials, particularly from China and disrupt supply chains for US manufacturers. If the US’s three largest trading partners respond with retaliatory tariffs, it would make US exports more expensive and less attractive on the global market. However, it’s not clear if Trump will follow through on his tariff threats or what products would be affected.

• Negotiations taking place in South Korea this month are focused on reducing the millions of tons of plastic waste discarded each year, and even reining in plastic production by focusing on restricting single-use plastics, The New York Times reported in November. According to NYT, nearly half a billion tons of plastic are produced globally each year, more than twice the amount produced 20 years ago. Moreover, producing and transporting plastic releases the greenhouse gases fueling global warming. If negotiations succeed, it would be the world’s first treaty to tackle the explosive growth of plastic pollution. However, resistance from nations like Russia and Saudi Arabia that, like the US, produce the fossil fuels used to make plastic, and Donald Trump’s election to a second term could stymie the effort, with the US under Trump unlikely to sign on to a treaty.
• Producer prices for plastic products manufacturers inched up 1.1% in December compared to a year ago after falling 2.2% in the previous December-versus-December annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Producer prices rebounded in December, albeit modestly, despite the recent decline in industry sales and shipments. Employment by the industry declined 1.2% year over year in January, while average wages at plastics and rubber product manufacturers rose 3.5% over the same period to $25.11 per hour, BLS data show.