— By PIE staff — 

Your go-to for business news, Plastics Information Europe (PIE), kicked off the PIE Industry Talks webinar series on 19 February 2026 with a data-rich look at how the global plastics landscape has shifted since 2022. Moderated by PIE’s Deputy Editor-in-Chief Somya Abrol, the webinar was joined by PIE’s Senior Market Analyst Vincent Breit and market expert Dimitrios Koranis, and walked attendees from Europe, the UK, and the US through the post-pandemic reset in worldwide plastics production and the ongoing struggles in Europe.

The speakers highlighted how European output has lagged global growth, under pressure from high energy costs, weak demand, and increasing competition from regions with structural cost advantages. A second focus was Europe’s changing position in global trade, with a review of the EU’s trade balance from 2018 to 2024 and a closer look at import flows of LDPE, LLDPE, and HDPE into Europe.

Participants saw how Europe has shifted from a more comfortable net-exporter status towards growing dependence on imports for key polyolefin grades, with rising volumes from the Middle East, North America, and parts of Asia. The discussion underscored how these shifts are reshaping pricing power, margin pressure, and investment decisions along the value chain.

For those who were unable to attend the webinar live, or those who would like to rewatch it, the video recording is available here below.