The K Show has always been a must-attend event, and the 2022 edition was no exception. PLASTICS team members worked diligently to contribute to an extraordinary experience — and we’re not just referring to the exhilarating NPE2024 reception we had the pleasure of hosting.

For the PLASTICS team, it was a moment of great pride to walk the K Show and see our PLASTICS membership well represented amid such an amazing array of innovation and expertise.

Looking toward the future

Attendees at K Show who experienced the incredible energy evident throughout the entire event only further fueled the excitement surrounding PLASTICS’ own NPE2024: The Plastics Show, which was highlighted by COO Glenn Anderson at a PLASTICS K Show executive briefing:

“Having served as chair for NPE2018, I can share with confidence that we’re preparing a rewarding, productive, unforgettable experience for NPE2024 attendees,” Anderson told executives and press gathered for the briefing. “More than 20,000 companies will be participating in NPE2024, and our seven Technology Zones will focus on the latest technologies, newest materials and most sophisticated processes available today.”

Sharing important data

The executive briefing also featured Chief Economist Dr. Perc Pineda, introducing  PLASTICS’ flagship Global Trends report for 2022, including data highlights such as:

• The U.S. plastics industry had an $18.2 billion trade deficit with China, its third-largest export market. This was, however, offset in part by a $2.6 billion resin trade surplus with China, the world’s largest resin buyer and a large importer of U.S.-produced resins.
• According to Global Trends, Mexico and Canada remained the U.S. plastics industry’s largest export markets. In 2021, the industry exported $18.0 billion to Mexico and $15.0 billion to Canada, maintaining its largest trade surplus — $10.8 billion — with Mexico.
• “Inflation was a big factor in the increases in the dollar value of exports and imports of plastics trade, said Dr. Pineda. “While this year’s merchandise trade outlook could miss the forecast, as the global economic growth slowed, the world is still the market for the plastics industry.”

Inspired by innovation

One of the most important things K Show exhibited for attendees was the incredible worldwide vibrancy and strength of the plastics industry. With all of the challenges and opportunities facing the industry, the K Show truly offered the vision and examples of the people of plastics who are constantly rising to the occasion.

We hope you’ll visit us at  www.plasticsindustry.org and join PLASTICS for more innovation at NPE2024, May 6-10, 2024, in Orlando, Fla.