{"id":176155,"date":"2026-04-28T07:29:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T05:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=176155"},"modified":"2026-04-28T08:50:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T06:50:42","slug":"natureworks-advocates-tariffs-to-rebuild-pla-sector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/natureworks-advocates-tariffs-to-rebuild-pla-sector\/","title":{"rendered":"NatureWorks Advocates Tariffs to Rebuild PLA Sector"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

NatureWorks<\/a>, a US manufacturer of bioplastics, has urged the US government to implement tariffs on imported polylactic acid (PLA) resin and downstream products to address structural overcapacity and unfair trade practices by China, India, and Thailand. <\/p>\n\n\n

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In its filing with the USTR, NatureWorks emphasized the importance of a well-calibrated tariff framework to preserve and increase domestic manufacturing capabilities. \u00a9 JuSun\/iStock via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

In its April 14 filing with the US Trade Representative <\/a>(USTR) as part of a Section 301 trade investigation, the company outlined the detrimental impact of these practices on the domestic PLA industry and called for decisive action to rebuild US manufacturing capabilities. NatureWorks is the primary PLA producer in the US.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“China’s state-supported industrial policies, subsidized inputs, and coordinated expansion across the PLA value chain have resulted in persistent overcapacity and artificially suppressed pricing,” NatureWorks noted in its filing. “This has displaced domestic production and discouraged further US investment.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bioplastics market hit $14.6 billion in 2025, according to DataM Intelligence<\/a>, and is expected to reach $70.8 billion by 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to NatureWorks, key players in the global market include Arkema, BASF, Bioterra, Kuraray Europe GmbH, Novamont S.p.A., TotalEnergies Corbion, Braskem, Mitsubishi Chemical Corp., and Plantic Technologies Ltd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China’s predatory practices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In its filing, NatureWorks highlighted China’s structural advantages, including state-backed subsidies and coordinated expansion in PLA production, which have led to artificially low prices and significant overcapacity. These practices have undermined US manufacturers, making it difficult for them to compete on a level playing field. The company described China’s actions as “unreasonable and discriminatory,” urging the US government to take action under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Section 301 tariffs, established under the Trade Act of 1974, are punitive measures implemented by the USTR to tackle alleged unfair foreign trade practices. These tariffs, which have targeted Chinese-origin products since 2018, focus on issues such as intellectual property violations, forced technology transfers, and industrial policies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Covering hundreds of billions of dollars in goods with rates ranging from 7.5% to 100%, the USTR noted that Section 301 tariffs differ from other trade actions by requiring a formal investigation process prior to enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fate of Trump\u2019s tariffs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At a Wall Street Journal event in Washington, DC, this week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he believes President Donald Trump\u2019s tariffs may be restored by July to the levels in place before the Supreme Court earlier this year struck down many of his tariffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe had a setback at the Supreme Court in terms of the tariff policy, but we will be implementing or conducting Section 301 studies, so the tariffs could be back in place at the previous level by the beginning of July,\u201d Bessent said at the event, according to a Bloomberg report<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bessent also noted that the 301 tariffs have already been tested in courts, which allows businesses to start planning. He added that while it is difficult to say when the consequences of the Iran war would \u201ccatch up\u201d with the US economy, it remains \u201cin strong shape.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

India and Thailand’s growing PLA capacity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

India and Thailand were also identified as contributors to global PLA overcapacity. The company noted that India is rapidly expanding its PLA production, with new facilities expected to come online by 2027. Thailand, meanwhile, holds significant PLA resin production capacity, but current trade measures favor offshore production over US-based manufacturing. NatureWorks recommended tariff measures to address these imbalances and support domestic production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Call for tariff framework<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

NatureWorks emphasized the importance of a well-calibrated tariff framework to preserve and increase domestic manufacturing capabilities. The company proposed tariffs not only on PLA resin but also on downstream products such as 3D printing filaments and foodservice ware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“A level playing field is essential to rebuild the American PLA industry, including resin and downstream PLA part production, and maintain the use of US-grown agricultural feedstocks,” NatureWorks said in its filing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The filing underscores the need for immediate action to protect the US PLA industry from predatory practices and ensure its long-term sustainability. By implementing targeted tariffs, the US government can support domestic manufacturers, reduce reliance on imports, and promote the use of locally sourced agricultural feedstocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NatureWorks’ recommendations aim to address the structural challenges posed by global PLA overcapacity and unfair trade practices. With a robust tariff framework, the US PLA industry can regain its competitive edge, foster innovation, and contribute to sustainable manufacturing practices.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NatureWorks, a US manufacturer of bioplastics, has urged the US government to implement tariffs on imported polylactic acid (PLA) resin and downstream products to address structural overcapacity and unfair trade practices by China, India, and Thailand.  In its April 14 filing with the US Trade Representative (USTR) as part of a Section 301 trade investigation, the company […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":176176,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"NatureWorks urges the US government to impose tariffs on imported PLA resin and products, citing unfair trade practices by China, India, and Thailand that harm domestic manufacturing and suppress investment","footnotes":""},"categories":[5572],"tags":[5838,5847,10416,14441,20929],"supplier":[102,2908,1604,1009,103,509,537,19655,9223],"class_list":["post-176155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bio-based","tag-bioeconomy","tag-bioplastics","tag-circulareconomy","tag-policy","tag-polylacticacid","supplier-arkema","supplier-basf-corporation-us","supplier-braskem","supplier-mitsubishi-chemical","supplier-natureworks-llc","supplier-novamont","supplier-plantic-technologies-ltd","supplier-totalenergies-corbion","supplier-u-s-government"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=176155"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176155\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":176191,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176155\/revisions\/176191"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/176176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=176155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=176155"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=176155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}