For the fourth consecutive quarter, the value of North American shipments of primary plastics machinery rose from the level it had achieved in the previous year.

According to the Plastics Industry Association's (PLASTICS') Committee on Equipment Statistics, reporting companies shipped $333.7 million worth of new extruders and injection molding machines, a 15.1 percent increase over the same time last year but an 11.7 percent drop-off from the previous quarter. PLASTICS said machine shipments traditionally are lower in the first quarter.

The total export value for all plastics machinery was $404 million, a 6.9 percent increase over the same period a year ago but a 7.7 percent decrease from the previous quarter.