North America Molded Plastics Market 2025 – 2034

Reports Description

As per the North America Molded Plastics Market analysis conducted by the CMI Team, the North America Molded Plastics market is expected to record a CAGR of 6.45% from 2025 to 2034. In 2025, the market size will be USD 126.14 Billion. By 2034, the valuation is anticipated to reach USD 221.40 Billion.

Overview

Molded plastics are capable of being hardened to proper consistency, thereby turning out to be bendable and versatile. They can be effectively used for creating tiny components with utmost finesse. The higher tensile strength, flexibility, moisture resistance, impact resistance, and rise in design flexibility have made molded plastics available in various design options that could be realized by molding and extrusion apart from bending. As they are bad conductors of electricity and heat, they are used as cladding panels, insulating materials, and pipes in shopping centers, workplaces, homes, and various other construction sites.

Besides, microplastic particles are found in several sizes, shapes, and concentrations in food and drinking water. However, these particles have been associated with various health issues such as vision loss, eye irritation, dizziness, respiratory problems, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular issues, and genotoxicity.

The healthcare vertical in North America uses molded plastics to make laboratory equipment, medical devices, packaging for pharmaceutical products, and diagnostic tools owing to their sterilizability, biocompatibility, and cost-effectiveness. As the region is home to leading manufacturers of medical devices, demand for molded plastics is expected to witness an upswing on a continuous basis during the forecast period.

Key Trends & Drivers

• Rise in Demand from Packaging Vertical

The packaging industry is one of the major consumers of molded plastics in NA. The ones most commonly used include PP, PE, and PET. These products made from molded plastics could be flexible or rigid based on end-use requirements. The end-use applications include pharmaceuticals, food & beverages, and cosmetics.

The molding technologies are inclusive of injection molding, blow molding, and extrusion molding. They offer benefits such as medical safety, durability, and food preservation. These advantages have helped plastics in acing the packaging industry. As the food & beverages vertical prefers lightweight cold-filled beverage containers, soft drink containers, alcohol beverage containers, and dairy containers, the demand for molded plastics is expected to upsurge during the forecast period.

• Growing Demand from Automotive Vertical

The North America Molded Plastics market’s sizable revenue comes from the automotive sector. This could be credited to the fact that molded plastics are durable, lightweight, flexibly designed, and cost-effective, which renders them useful in a broad range of automobile parts and components. The external parts where molded plastics are used include bumpers, body panels, seats, grilles, and aerodynamic elements. On analogous grounds, the internal parts include door panels, dashboards, trim, and seats.

The under-the-bonnet applications include cooling system components, fluid reservoirs, engine covers, and intake manifolds. The requirements of molded plastics in the automotive sector are driven by the advancements in vehicle technology, safety, and design, apart from the ongoing trend of lightweighting for increasing fuel economy and lowering emissions.

• Spur in Demand for Construction and Building Materials

Various building applications like pipes and their fittings, siding, windows, roofing materials, insulation, ornamental components, and decking deploy molded plastics on an extensive note. Benefits such as resistance to moisture, pests, corrosion, simple installation, diversity of design, and thermal and acoustic insulation. Moreover, molded plastics are preferred in the green building certifications, usage of recycled or recyclable materials, and energy-efficient construction.

Key Threats

• Costs of Raw Materials and Disruptions in Supply Chain

Volatility in prices of raw materials and interruptions in the supply chain are the two major threats to the North America Molded Plastics market. The natural calamities, geopolitical unrest, and shifts in the process of oil worldwide end up affecting prices of raw materials used in plastics’ production, which include resins, petrochemicals, and additives.

The variations mentioned above have a negative impact on the profitability of manufacturers of molded plastics. Also, production delays, longer lead times, and inventory shortages could be the outcome of disruptions in the supply chain such as delays in transportation and labor shortages.

• Technological Disruption

Technological disruption poses a serious threat to the North America Molded Plastics market. The industry 4.0 revolution is bringing about challenges on a continuous basis in the form of speedy breakthroughs in manufacturing processes, materials science, and product design. The new technologies include sophisticated composites, bio-based polymers, smart materials, and additive manufacturing (3D printing), which provide exclusive solutions with sustainability. The makers of molded plastics need to be on their toes regarding the adoption of technological advancements.

Opportunities

The increasing adoption of 3D printing technology in various commercial applications is extending support to the growth of 3D printing plastic composites at the global level. Such grades do proffer optimum performance in high temperature/pressure and corrosive ambience. The value additions offered by plastics’ composite grades include carbon fibers. The popular grades of molded plastics used in 3D printing plastic composites include ABS, PA, and PC.

Certain popular grades of 3D printing plastic composites are inclusive of stainless steel-PLA, PC-ABS, and carbon fiber-PLA. The major producers of molded plastics like SABIC have begun producing 3D printing plastics by performing forward integration. Increasing demand for 3D printing plastic composites is likely to provide opportunities for growth of the North America Molded Plastics market.

What’s trending in North America Molded Plastics Market?

The healthcare and automotive sectors are pushing the demand for lightweight components and high-performance polymers. The environmental regulations are driving the shift toward bio-based and recyclable materials. Increase in the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies such as Industry 4.0 and the application of 3D printing with injection molding to facilitate hybrid manufacturing is one of the ongoing trends likely to shape the future of the North America Molded Plastics market.

Category Wise Insights

By Type

• PE

Polyethylene (PE) is used in injection molding owing to its versatility. It can be manufactured with several densities (HDPE, LDPE, and likewise) with varying properties such as hardness, flexibility, and melting point. PE is resistant to the majority of solvents, bases, and acids, thereby rendering it conducive to applications where chemical stability is paramount. It is also a good electrical insulator. It is thus suitable for electrical components and cable coatings. The applications of PE in molding include bottles, containers, bags, films, cable coatings, connectors, and insulation.

• PP

PP (polypropylene) is used in molded plastics owing to its flexible, tough, and versatile properties. It is generally referred to as the ‘steel’ of the plastic industry as it could be customized in several applications. They include food packaging (food trays, containers, and cups), automotive, household appliances (refrigerator door liners, washing machine frames, and lawnmower parts), medical (vials, syringes, pill containers, and petri dishes), general mechanical parts (pots, furniture, and barrels), and electronic and electrical applications (casings for cables and appliances).

• PVC

PVC, i.e. polyvinyl chloride, is a thermoplastic used in injection molding for producing a broad variety of plastic products. It is naturally flame-retardant and relatively inexpensive, thereby making it financially viable for several applications such as blister packaging, window frames, medical equipment, and household items as well.

• PET

PET (polyethylene terephthalate), also known as polyester, is used in injection molding due to its wear resistance, higher dimensional stability, and proper chemical resistance. It is best suited for the parts that need a higher level of accuracy and surface quality owing to its ability to maintain shape and resist wear. Applications include food & beverages packaging, electrical components, automotive, medical devices, consumer goods, and sporting goods.

• PS

PS, i.e. polystyrene is used in injection molding owing to its versatility, affordability, and ease of processing. This synthetic thermoplastic polymer is used in making disposable items, food packaging, and electronics owing to its rigidity, clarity, and proper electrical insulating properties.

• PU

Polyurethane (PU) is a kind of plastic that is used in molded parts, which offers a wide range of properties such as flexibility, abrasion resistance, and hardness. PU molding implies injection of a urethane polymer system into a mold, wherein it cures as well as hardens into the desired shape. The applications include medical, automotive, and manufacturing for structural components, panels, and housings.

By Application

• Packaging

Molded plastic packaging uses injection molding for creating several sizes and shapes, which offer durability, versatility, and protection for the products. The method allows mass production of bottles, containers, closures, and the other packaging components for verticals such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, electronics, and food. LDPE is impact-resistant, which makes it feasible for bags and squeeze bottles.

• Automotive & Transportation

Molded plastics are used extensively note in the automotive and transportation verticals for several components, which offer advantages such as cost-effectiveness and simplicity of manufacturing. Such plastics are used in both interior and exterior parts, thereby contributing to the vehicle’s safety, performance, and design. Molded plastics are used for the components such as fenders, bumpers, grills, and side mirrors. They provide structural support as well as protection to wheel well liners and wheels.

• Construction & Infrastructure

Molded plastics are used at a broad scale in construction and infrastructure in the form of building materials such as roofing, flooring, windows, walls, piping, and insulation. Plastic injection molding helps in creating innovative components such as SillDry window and door flashing for enhanced weather protection. Recycled plastics could be incorporated into green concrete, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of the construction projects.

• Electronics & Electrical

Molded plastics are used in electronics and electrical applications owing to their exceptional insulating properties, ability to be molded into complex shapes, and being lightweight. They are used for protective casings, insulation for electrical wiring, and housings for components. Thermosets that are capable of withstanding higher temperatures are used for light fittings, switches, and handles.

• Pharmaceutical

Molded plastics play an important role in creating several medical devices, packaging materials, and drug delivery systems. Injection molding is conducive to producing cost-effective and precise components for pharmaceuticals. Plastic components are used in syringes for insulin. Plastic injection molding can also produce drug-releasing implants along with the other complex medical devices.

• Agriculture

Plastic pipes and fittings are used for creating irrigation systems, thereby ascertaining efficient delivery of water to crops. Mulch films help in retaining the moisture content of soil, suppressing weeds, and regulating the temperature of soil, thereby leading to healthier crops. Plastic crates, containers, and boxes are used for collecting, storing, and transporting crops and various other agricultural products. Plastic-lined feed bins as well as containers help in protecting livestock feed from spoilage.

US Ruling the Roost

The U.S. leads the North America Molded Plastics market. This could be attributed to the robust and varied manufacturing sector in the country, with a noteworthy presence in the plastics sector. Several molded plastic manufacturers, right from small and medium-sized entities to the multinational organizations, are based out of the U.S. and capable of fulfilling demand at the domestic and global level.

Furthermore, the U.S. has a huge and diverse consumer market across the globe. The end-users include consumer goods, packaging, construction, electronics, and healthcare. The U.S.-based manufacturers also leverage market access, trade agreements, and export promotion initiatives for expanding their presence in the foreign markets and capitalizing on the rising demand for molded plastics around the world.

What lasting Effect is 3D Printing expected to have on North America Molded Plastics Market?

3D printing is bound to leave a transformative impact on the North America Molded Plastics market, wherein material choices, design, and production methods would see a drastic change.

Conventional injection molding stays dominant regarding high-volume production, whereas 3D printing offers benefits pertaining to rapid customization, prototyping, and low-volume manufacturing. It is catalysing the development of the new-fangled materials and applications, thereby pushing boundaries of probabilities with plastics. Also, 3D printing is conducive to manufacturing parts in small quantities, thereby rendering it a good option for personalized products and niche markets.

3D printing also plays a vital role in adopting plastics and the other sustainable materials in the production of plastic, thereby contributing to the efforts to lessen environmental hazards.

Report Scope

News Key Developments

The North America Molded Plastics market is witnessing a constructive disruption with respect to organic as well as inorganic growth. Some of the developments include

• In April 2023, Nexa3D completed the acquisition of Addifab (Freeform Injection Molding’s parent company) with the objective of strengthening the ability of the latter’s high-temperature high-impact and soluble resins to be used in collaboration with the former’s ultrafast 3D printers for producing advanced tools that could be used with any kind of injection molding feedstock.

• In March 2023, ABC Technologies Holdings Inc. completed the acquisition of WMG technologies for US$ 165 Mn. The former offers products that fall into any of the categories such as outside systems, interior systems, HVAC, fluids, and others.

• In October 2022, Evco Plastics proposed expansion of manufacturing capacity worth US$ 11 Mn in Wisconsin (U.S.). The company ran 183 injection molding machines back then.

Leading Players

The North America Molded Plastics market is highly competitive, with a large number of product providers globally. Some of the key players in the market include:

• Chevron Corporation
• Eastman Chemical Company
• Dow Inc.
• ExxonMobil
• DuPont
• Formosa Plastics Corporation
• SABIC
• LyondellBasell
• Sinopec
• Versalis
• Petro Packaging Company Inc.
• Mitsui Chemicals Inc.
• PSI Molded Plastics
• GSH Industries
• Atlantis Plastics Inc.
• Others

These firms apply a sequence of strategies to enter the market, including innovations, mergers and acquisitions, as well as collaboration.

The North America Molded Plastics market is shaped by the presence of diversified players that compete based on product innovation, regional reach, vertical integration, and cost efficiency.

The North America Molded Plastics Market is segmented as follows:

By Type

• PE
• PP
• PVC
• PET
• PS
• PU

By Application

• Packaging
• Automotive & Transportation
• Construction & Infrastructure
• Electronics & Electrical
• Pharmaceutical
• Agriculture

Regional Coverage:

North America

• U.S.
• Canada
• Mexico
• Rest of North America