Airgas Workers Strike Over Labor Dispute, Extend Picket Lines Across Northeast

Unionized tankhaul drivers at Airgas have gone on strike, citing alleged unfair labor practices and the company’s refusal to negotiate contracts that meet industry standards.

the workers have expanded picket lines to eight sites across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. Local 701 members have reportedly been on the picket line since mid-June. 

Airgas is the leading U.S. distributor of industrial, medical, and specialty gases; its products are used in modified atmospheric packaging (MAP), cryogenic freezing, and beverage carbonation and dispensing, among other applications. It is a subsidiary of French industrial gas giant Air Liquide

Tariff Talks 2025: Expana's Weekly Rundown #7

Expana’s global team of specialist reporters has been tracking every twist and turn in the fluid tariff situation.

Click to read "Tariff Talks 2025: Expana's Weekly Rundown #7."

This report allows the Expana community to see where key commodity markets stand as of this past week... Click the above PDF report, or keep scrolling to read in plain text...

Unlocking Market Opportunities: Key Takeaways From Agri-Food Europe 2025

Held from February 26th to 27th at the Okura Hotel in Amsterdam, Expana’s Agri-Food Europe 2025 brought together key stakeholders from global agrifood markets for two days of learning, collaboration and forward-thinking discussions...

With a timely agenda addressing critical issues such as commodity pricing, where markets are headed and emerging agrifood disruptors, the event served as a key gathering for businesses looking to gain a competitive edge. Agri-Food Europe also included market-specific breakouts for categories including animal products, tropical softs, grains, oilseeds, packaging and animal...

ANALYSIS: The Effect of US Tariffs on Food Packaging Materials

US President Donald Trump’s long-touted import tariff regime has started to take shape throughout February.

Trump’s administration has targeted China with tariffs of 10% on all imports and 25% import tariffs were applied to Canada and Mexico.

On February 13, Trump signed a memorandum ordering his advisers to create a plan to tackle the US trade deficit.

This followed an announcement on February 11 of the imposition of tariffs of 25% on all imports of aluminum and steel.

Expana analysts have assessed the impact on packaging materials...

Several US States Implement New Food Packaging Regulations in 2025

In 2025, several US states have enacted, or are set to enact, new legislation that prohibits or restricts the use of certain types of packaging in food retail.

In addition, implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs for packaging is expected to increase across several states in 2025, according to the National Law Review. EPR programs shift the cost of waste management and recycling from municipalities to product manufacturers. States including Massachusetts, New York and Washington may see advancements in EPR legislation this year.