How Tariffs Are Shaping Packaging M&A Trends in 2025
Tariffs have added complexity to M&A but haven’t slowed packaging transaction numbers through 2025.
In a recent interview with Packaging Digest, PMCF Investment Banking Managing Director John Hart shared his perspective on packaging M&A and tariffs, highlighting both new challenges and unique opportunities in the market.
Hart, who leads PMCF’s Plastics & Packaging vertical, mentioned he has seen a greater focus on U.S.-based acquisitions and that cross-border or import-heavy transactions are receiving more scrutiny. This scrutiny is driving noticeable target changes, with global buyers gaining more interest in U.S.-based packaging companies.
“Cross-border activity oddly enough is not up so far this year,” Hart said. ‘But I can say anecdotally, I’ve gotten a lot more inquiries from global packaging players to do acquisitions in the US.”
Looking holistically at the packaging industry, Hart said financial performance seems to be improving for packaging firms, which in turn is leading to further transactions.
“In fact, there’s companies that would have transacted in 2024 if they had better 2023 performance,” Hart said. “But because they didn’t, they held off on pursuing a transaction until they got through 2024 and now they’re pursuing a transaction. I think that’s what’s actually driving some of the increase in activity. Certainly, you have a tariff impact, which is hurting some deals. But I think this pent-up demand in deals due to company performance has offset any tariff impact in packaging.
To read the full Packaging Digest Interview, click here.
To read PMCF’s recent Packaging June 2025 M&A update, click here.
More Articles
U.S. Food & Beverage M&A Demonstrates Stability To Start 2026
U.S. food and beverage M&A activity has remained steady to start 2026, even as the industry’s global dealmaking trends slowed slightly.
Fresh Flavors, Functional Foods, and GLP-1: Key Food & Beverage M&A Trends in 2026
Market trends in Food & Beverage are leaning toward innovative products, international flavors, and functional, healthy foods, with GLP-1 naturally influencing consumer purchases.
Insights Into The Impacts of the Iran Conflict on Plastics M&A
As geopolitical disruption, including the Iran conflict, reshapes key market dynamics, plastics M&A is beginning to reflect a more selective landscape defined by cost pressure, valuation movement, and resilience in certain end markets. John Hart, managing director at PMCF Investment Banking, recently spoke with Plastics Today about the Iran conflict’s potential implications for Plastics &…
Distributors See Improving M&A Opportunity In 2026
After a year defined by uneven activity and macro uncertainty, M&A momentum enters 2026 with improving financing conditions, renewed buyer confidence, and substantial capital on the sidelines, creating a more constructive environment for well-positioned middle-market distributors.
HCM M&A Outlook 2026: AI, Specialization, and Global Shifts Shape Deal Flow
After years of volatility and transformation, the Human Capital Management (HCM) industry now finds itself navigating a landscape where geopolitical tensions and technological acceleration collide to create both unique challenges and new frontiers for growth.