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End Market Tracker & Forecast

Average Annual % Change
	10 Years	5 Years	3 Years
Appliance Production	2.6	2.2	4.1
Appliance Plastics Index	2.2	-2.0	-4.5

Appliances

Return to Injection Molding Business Index

The Appliance Plastics Index dropped 23% in the latest month when compared with the same month last year. This followed a 17% decrease during the previous month.

Consumption of domestically-produced plastic parts by appliance manufacturers receded by a disheartening 18% in 2007. This will be followed by a decline of 5% in 2008.

In February, total U.S. appliance output expanded by 5% when compared with the previous month, but it slid down 5% when compared with the same month a year ago.

Total U.S. production of household appliances is forecast to hit a cyclical bottom in the first half of 2008 and then rise moderately later this year. Overall, there will be no growth in output in 2008 after decline of 7% in 2007.

Forecasts: Mountaintop Economics & Research, Inc.
Data Sources: Federal Reserve Board, Mountaintop Economics & Research, Inc.