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Market Forecast
U.S. plastics industry reports another year of trade surplus
Mexico and Canada remain the U.S. plastics industry’s largest export markets, the new report from the Plastics Industry Association says.
Both Biden and Trump victories present implications for Canada’s economy, new report says
The report from RSM Canada concludes that no matter the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, Canada’s recovery from wave two of the coronavirus pandemic and its longer-term outlook will be impacted.
What will the 2020 elections mean for U.S. energy?
Ten key issues to watch, according to global energy consultancy group Wood Mackenzie.
Bioplastics will need significant government intervention to realize full potential, report says
In order to achieve the scale needed to play a meaningful role, the report from Wood Mackenzie says, the bioplastics industry will require significant regulatory interventions from governments and substantial cost efficiencies as technologies mature and scale.
Industry consultant predicts 31% drop in North American tooling spend in 2020
Harbour Results says that the 2020 automotive vendor tooling spend in North America will be $6.4 billion, which is $.4 billion less than originally forecasted in 2019.
Canadian small business owners cautiously optimistic about the future, Scotiabank report says
Forty per cent of small business owners are either “very” or “extremely” optimistic about the future of their business, Scotiabank said.
Plastics industry 8th largest in U.S., new report says
The plastics industry is a key part of the American economy, the report from Plastics Industry Association said, accounting for an estimated $432 billion in shipments and over a million workers in 2019.
German firms Continental and Osram plan to end lighting systems joint venture
The companies said the move comes in response to the dampening influence of COVID-19 on the global level of vehicle production.
Retail sales rose 0.6% in July, Statistics Canada says
Sales were up in six of 11 subsectors in July with the motor vehicle and parts dealers subsector contributing the most to the increase.
Canadian auto sales’ rebound “softened modestly” in August, report says
In the U.S., meanwhile, auto sales posted a fourth month of recovery with August purchases increasing by 5% month-over-month, the new report from Scotiabank says.
North American plastics machinery shipments up in Q2, report says
The preliminary estimate of shipments value from reporting companies totaled a 4% increase over the first quarter of 2020, the Plastics Industry Association says, when shipments decreased 19.8% from the previous quarter.
Canadian economy posted record drop in Q2 due to COVID-19, StatCan says
The decline is the steepest since quarterly data were first recorded in 1961, with almost every single component of the economy that works into calculating GDP at its lowest point over April, May, and June.
Big majority of small business owners still worry about economy, survey finds
Also, sixty per cent of respondents to the latest Canadian Federation of Independent Business survey say they fear consumer spending will stay low even after the COVID-19 pandemic ends.
Heavy truck sales in Canada should rebound quickly, report says
The Canadian heavy truck industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report from Scotiabank says, but sales should shift back into positive growth territory in 2021.
Moldmakers, manufacturers focusing on diversification, profitability, survey says
Results from the latest survey by the Canadian Association of Moldmakers and Automate Canada show that diversification plans are a priority as many manufacturers rebound from the initial shock of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Manufacturing sales up 8.7 per cent in July, StatCan says
The preliminary estimate for July compared with a record 20.7 per cent gain seen in June as factories continued to ramp up production.
Sumitomo (SHI) Demag reports machine orders up during COVID-19 crisis
Demand from the packaging and medical technology sectors largely is driving growth, the injection molding machine maker said.
Bad start to the year for Italian machinery industry, association says
Declining imports and exports caused by the COVID-19 pandemic created losses for the Italian rubber and plastics machinery industry during the first three months of 2020, with full recovery unlikely before 2022, according to new figures from trade association Amaplast.
Canadian auto sales posted another rebound in July, Scotiabank says
U.S. auto sales also continued to climb back in July, Scotiabank reported in its latest Auto News Flash.
Canadian Plastics podcast: Resin supply, demand and pricing during COVID-19, Part 6: PET
Resin supply, demand and pricing during COVID-19 – A…
