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EU Plastics Sector: Closures will accelerate if no action is taken

Plastics Europe, a sector lobby group, warned on Wednesday that Europe's plastics industries will face an increased rate of plant closures and fall further behind its global competitors in recycling if urgent action is not taken.

The group said that the European Union must recognize plastics as a strategic industry, given their importance in sectors like defence, auto-making, and agriculture.

Plastics Europe stated that it is urgent to take action to reduce crippling energy prices, climate-related taxes, high feedstock costs and the impact of U.S. Tariffs.

Rob Ingram is the CEO of INEOS Olefins and Polymers Europe and a member of Plastics Europe's steering board. He said that EU plastics were at a "cliff-edge" and struggled to remain competitive.

He said that there was a lot to debate about the best direction to take. He said that the first thing to do is to stop things from getting worse.

It said that European production volumes increased by 0.4% in 2024, after a 7.6% record contraction in 2023. However, turnover dropped 13% and Europe's share of the global market fell to 12%.

In contrast, the global plastics industry increased by 4.1% between 2024 and 2025, with Asia producing more than half of all plastics, while China produced just over a quarter.

China's production is now almost double that of Europe, and the EU's production will be flat by 2024.

The plastics industry in Europe must purchase emission allowances to compensate for the global warming gases that are created during production.

U.S. producers would have a clear advantage over their EU counterparts in terms of energy and input prices, but would still be subject to 15% import duties if they shipped the other way. Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop Editing Ros Russell

(source: Reuters)