Tomra: Tariffs causing equipment market uncertainty

The CEO of Norway-based Tomra Systems ASA says second quarter of 2025 equipment sales to the global recycling sector have been “in line with last year’s second quarter, but the order intake is impacted by continued macroeconomic and tariff uncertainty [that] is postponing customers’ investment decisions.”

In its summary covering the April through June 2025 quarter, the company does not mention the United States specifically when referring to tariffs.

However, much of Tomra’s equipment for the recycling sector is made in Germany, and U.S. President Donald Trump has been threatening the European Union with shifting tariff rates of up to 30 percent.

In this year’s second quarter, Tomra says its overall revenue decreased by 2 percent year on year. The firm says revenue in its recycling and sorting sector was even with the spring 2024 level and revenue in its reverse vending machine (RVM) business unit, which also ties into the recycling industry, was down 12 percent year on year.

Tomra’s third business unit, which markets sensor-sorting equipment to the food processing industry, saw revenue grow by 15 percent this spring compared with the second quarter of 2024.

The company says the tariff turmoil may come into play soon, portraying an order backlog in its recycling business unit that is down 20 percent compared with one year ago.

“The order intake is impacted by continued macroeconomic and tariff uncertainty [that] is postponing customers’ investment decisions,” says Tove Andersen, president and CEO of Tomra Systems, describing activity in the firm’s sorting machinery division.

“In Collection [RMVs], there is high activity in preparation for Poland and Portugal’s upcoming deposit return systems, but we have had a momentary slowdown in sales reflecting the phasing of new deposit markets,” adds Andersen.

Tomra indicates it has held its profit levels steady, saying its earnings before interest, taxes and amortization (EBITA) of about $51 million was “in line with” with last year’s second quarter result.

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