Plastic Bag and Film Manufacturing in Australia - Industry Market Research Report

Burst bubble: Weak demand and strong imports have manufacturers wrapped up in a dull performance

The Plastic Bag and Film Manufacturing industry has endured challenging operating conditions in recent years. Climbing import competition has put substantial pressure on local manufacturers. Countries like China and Malaysia have a competitive advantage over local manufacturers because of lower labour costs and economies of scale. The industry mainly serves firms in the agriculture, food manufacturing, construction and retail markets. Industry-wide revenue has been falling at an average annualised 1.9% over the past five years and is expected to total $2.1 billion in 2022-23, when revenue will drop by an estimated 2.6%. Weak downstream demand coupled with intense price competition has squeezed industry profit margins.

Industry companies manufacture unsupported polymer films and sheets into packaging materials such as plastic bags, thin plastic films, garbage bags, food wrapping and bubble wrap packaging.

This report covers the scope, size, disposition and growth of the industry including the key sensitivities and success factors. Also included are five year industry forecasts, growth rates and an analysis of the industry key players and their market shares.