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To help you plan for the months ahead, we’re sharing a concise update on resin pricing, freight trends, tariffs, lead times, and evolving EPR regulations.

Resin (South Asia)

Current price: $1461 per metric ton (MT).

Trend: Resin prices increased throughout Q1, driven largely by geopolitical instability in the Middle East, which has disrupted petroleum supply. As a result, polyethylene and polypropylene pricing have risen.

Given ongoing volatility, suppliers are issuing quotes with shorter validity windows than usual.

Freight

Freight rates have also increased due to continued disruption in the Middle East, contributing to overall landed cost pressure.

Tariffs

In February, the U.S. Supreme court ruled that the Internation Emergency Economic Power Act (IEEPA) does not authorize broad import tariffs. As a result, tariffs imposed solely under IEEPA are no longer legally supported.

Global-Pak is actively taking appropriate steps to ensure compliance and to position ourselves to receive any eligible refunds. Please refer to our full communication for additional details on  the tariff refund update.

The current tariff rates:

On imports from India, the current rate is 18.4% (10% temporary import surcharge under Section 122 + the 8.4% base rate).

On steel items from China, the current rate is 75% (25% Section 301 + 50% Section 232).

Lead Times

Current lead times: 14-19 weeks, depending on the manufacturing site.

Example for planning: If you place a new order on April 15th, the expected arrival window is around late July to early September.

We recommend factoring these timelines into your 2026 planning cycles.

EPR Regulations

We continue to closely monitor the rapidly evolving landscape of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations across the U.S.

Over the past year, several states have enacted or implemented packaging EPR laws, each with unique registration requirements, reporting obligations, and fee structures extending into 2026 and beyond. These regulations are increasingly impacting packaging decisions, cost forecasting, and overall compliance strategy.

For the latest updates, please visit our blog for our Q2 EPR update.

If you have any questions, please contact your Sales and Customer Service Team. We appreciate your partnership and look forward to supporting all your packaging needs in 2026.