North American shipments of plastics machinery experienced a year-over-year drop in the fourth quarter of 2016. It was the second consecutive quarterly decrease, according to the Plastics Industry Association's Committee on Equipment Statistics.
The preliminary estimate for shipments of primary plastics equipment for reporting companies was $361.7 million in the fourth quarter, which is 7.4 percent lower than the $390.6 million in shipments in the same period of the prior year. For the entire year, shipments of primary plastic equipment rose 1.2 percent compared to 2015, the Washington-based association reported.
New bookings of auxiliary equipment for reporting companies were essentially flat at $126.6 million in 2016's fourth quarter, but represented a gain of 5 percent over the third quarter.
