America First Manufacturing Means Producing Plastic Here In America

Our small towns and rural communities are the bedrock of America’s greatness. Biden administration policies undermined the vitality of the American heartland, pushing jobs overseas and weakening our rural economies. President Donald Trump can restore American strength by revitalizing our home-grown manufacturing sector, which will reinvigorate economic life throughout the heartland.  

It is time to put American jobs and the American economy first. This means recognizing the value of “Made in America”—and doing what we can to kickstart the revival of domestic manufacturing. It requires making sure that our industrial producers can reliably get the materials essential for building their products. For manufacturing, that core set of inputs includes plastics.  

Plastics support over a quarter of all U.S. manufacturing and are critical to every manufacturing sector. In our defense sector, high performance plastics are used for the body armor that protects our soldiers, and for a range of other military gear. Plastic wrappers and containers are champions in the food sector, preventing food waste and cutting transport costs. 

Plastic components are critical in the electronics sector. Because they are non-conductive, they provide insulation and connectors that safely allow management of electric currents in devices. 

Cars are, on average, 50% plastics by volume. Because plastics are moldable, corrosion-resistant and lightweight, they are also ideal for custom fabrication like personalized prosthetics and specialized tools. 

There are similar examples in every single sector. Plastics keep our entire manufacturing industry manufacturing, plain and simple.

Equally important, our domestic companies that produce plastic materials and products employ over 673,000 hardworking Americans. These are well paying jobs—with an average salary of over $67,000—that offer a broad range of opportunities for an even broader range of skills and specialties. Many of these jobs do not require an advanced degree. 

Companies supported by plastics employ machine operators, quality inspectors, engineers, product designers, tool makers, research scientists, sales representatives, environmental specialists, safety officers, inventory analysts, plant managers, and more. And plastics manufacturing creates scores of additional jobs in categories such as logistics and transportation, raw materials supply, industrial support, finance, and others. Many are union jobs with opportunities for skills training and career development—important for building back a strong middle class.  

And by supporting manufacturing, plastics production has a significant impact in revitalizing small towns. Manufacturing results in infrastructure improvements, a boost in business for local retailers and restaurants, more local tax revenue, more entertainment options, and broader community development. All of this gives more reason for the next generation to stay.

For manufacturing to thrive in the U.S., we need to make sure there is a reliable and consistent supply of plastic available to meet our production needs. Our manufacturing base should not have to rely on imports to feed our factories. Our manufacturers should not be left to the mercy of foreign nations who don’t share our values. Nor should our manufacturers be vulnerable to international shipping delays or other international challenges that can halt production and cost us American jobs.   

The best way to hedge against international supply chain disruptions is to produce more plastics domestically. We should encourage more domestic production, including through advanced recycling technologies that transform discarded plastics into new plastic materials suitable for making new products. We should preserve manufacturing-friendly policies in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including lower corporate tax rates and immediate expensing of investments. We should restore the Research and Development tax credit.

By boosting the production of plastics and other manufacturing inputs on our own soil, we are putting America first. This means a stronger manufacturing base, more jobs for more Americans, and more products proudly bearing the “Made in America” stamp. That’s what greatness looks like, and America deserves no less.

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