By Megan Quinn, Senior Reporter, WASTEDIVE, April 9, 2025
Uncertainty around the operational and market impacts of the Trump administration’s latest round of tariffs is expected to continue in the near future as plastics recyclers and related industries wait for ripple effects on global trade and domestic markets.
On April 2, President Donald Trump enacted baseline 10% tariffs on goods from most other nations, plus a range of additional country-specific duties. Numerous trade partners then responded in recent days with retaliatory tariffs. On Wednesday, Trump announced a 90-day pause on the country-specific tariffs but said a near-universal 10% tariff would stay in place. Canada and Mexico will still be subject to a 25% tariff for certain goods not covered under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the White House later clarified. However, China which will now face a tariff rate of 125%.
The status of these tariffs is ever-changing, and recyclers expect the frequent changes will result in numerous consequences for commodities markets, as well as costs for equipment and infrastructure projects.
Here are some facets of the plastics recycling industry they’re monitoring in the early days of the trade war.
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