US production of major plastic resins fell sharply in February 2026, totalling 8.2 billion pounds, down 7.8% from January, yet still up 2.7% compared to February 2025, according to new statistics from the American Chemistry Council (ACC). 

 

Year-to-date production reached 17.1 billion pounds, marking a 5.0% increase over the same period last year.

 

Sales and captive use of major plastic resins mirrored the dip, hitting 8.1 billion pounds in February, a 5.6% decrease from the prior month. Compared with February 2025, sales and internal use edged up 0.7%, while year-to-date totals stood at 16.6 billion pounds, a 1.9% increase from the previous year.

 

“These numbers show a clear month-to-month slowdown, but overall production remains solid compared to last year,” said the ACC in its report.