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This Week in Manufacturing - 1/7/2026

This Week in Manufacturing - 1/7/2026

Manufacturing stays global and stays uncertain

January 07, 2026

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This report is brought to you in partnership with Sustainment, a market network dedicated to the success of American Manufacturing. Learn More →

💴 This Week in Manufacturing

U.S. manufacturing enters 2026 with growing confidence but no illusions. This week’s headlines show improving sentiment alongside mixed activity data, cautious hiring, and continued tariff pressure. Policy decisions—especially in semiconductors—are shaping real operational choices, while global manufacturing diverges sharply by region. The sector isn’t surging, but it is adapting, prioritizing resilience, discipline, and optionality over rapid expansion.

This week’s headlines shine a spotlight on lingering questions about industry productivity, AI development opportunities, domestic factory investments, and more!

Our first podcast, from The Manufacturing Report, covers the timeline of Trump’s trade policy via tariffs. The second podcast, from The Manufacturing Executive, dives into how organizations can embed lean manufacturing principles into their company culture.

The Social Video and Fun Fact kick off the year with a broad overview of prominent manufacturing plants and their impact on American industry.

Thanks for joining us!

⚙ Manufacturing Headlines

Is the US Undercounting Manufacturing Productivity Growth? [Chicago Booth Review]
NIST, MITRE invest $20 million in AI centers to counter cyber threats [Industrial Cyber]
U.S. Manufacturing Growth Eases amid ‘Wiley E Coyote Scenario’ [Tip Ranks]
Joby plans to double U.S. eVTOL manufacturing capacity [Composites World]
Samsung Biologics to Open First U.S. Manufacturing Plant [Industrial Equipment News]

COMMENTARY

♨️ Steady Under Pressure: Manufacturing Confidence in a Constrained Economy

Policy friction and global divergence shape a more deliberate manufacturing rebound

As the calendar flips from 2025 to 2026, U.S. manufacturing isn’t hitting reset—it’s carrying forward a set of hard-earned lessons.

The start of 2026 finds U.S. manufacturing steady, realistic, and increasingly self-aware. Manufacturer optimism is rising even as PMI data, hiring trends, and output figures remain uneven. Tariffs and trade policy continue to influence labor and investment decisions, while nuanced semiconductor controls highlight how closely policy and production are now linked.

With Europe contracting and parts of Asia gaining momentum, manufacturers are focusing on resilience and optionality—building supply chains designed to perform in a permanently complex global environment.

Upshot: For many companies, the goal heading into 2026 is consistency: predictable demand, manageable labor needs, and supply chains that don’t surprise them.