Flexible Packaging Leads the Way

"Over the last several years, China has competed in the commodity market, and it is currently investing in equipment to produce more sophisticated structures," reports Donahue. "Additionally, South Korean films and retort pouches are considered high quality by global standards."

The fact that offshore competitors are competing at a higher quality and sophistication is not a surprise to Klein. He believes this is a direct result of the investments emerging countries are making in the latest equipment and technologies.