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This Week in Manufacturing - 5/13/26

This Week in Manufacturing - 5/13/26

Food & Beverage is sweet with jobs

May 13, 2026

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💴 This Week in Manufacturing

Manufacturing activity extended its recovery in April 2026, with both major PMI surveys showing the strongest factory expansion since 2022 despite rising costs, weakening exports, and growing geopolitical pressure tied to the Iran conflict. Much of the growth was driven by stockpiling ahead of expected price increases rather than sustained demand. Even so, long-term investment remained strong, highlighted by Ferrara Candy’s $675 million South Carolina facility, which will add 1,000 food manufacturing jobs.

This week’s headlines cover a wide range of the improvements and travails across manufacturing industries from AI to solar power to biopharma and more.

Our first podcast, from The Manufacturing Report, highlights the opportunity for veterans to play a major role in boosting American manufacturing. The second podcast, from The Manufacturing Executive, dives into how technology can support manufacturing at the state level.

The Social Video and Fun Fact highlight some of the many joyful sides of the food and beverage manufacturing industry.

Thanks for joining us!

⚙ Manufacturing Headlines

NVIDIA and Corning Partner to Expand U.S. AI Manufacturing [National Association of Manufacturers]
Showcasing American Manufacturing Across the Globe [Export Import Bank of the United States]
Trump’s crackdown on China-linked solar firms stalls U.S. factory boom [Reuters]
SolarEdge hits targets as U.S. manufacturing ramps up [PV Magazine]
Biopharma Manufacturing Expands in the U.S [BioPharm International]

MONTHLY REPORT

♨️ US Manufacturing Monthly Insights - April

Rising Costs, Stockpiling, and Global Conflict Test Manufacturing’s Four-Month Expansion Run

U.S. manufacturing continued to expand in April 2026, marking four consecutive months of growth and the strongest sustained run of factory activity since mid-2022.

April 2026 brought a fourth consecutive month of manufacturing expansion, as factory activity reached its strongest pace in nearly four years. Beneath the headline growth, however, manufacturers faced surging input costs, slowing export demand, supply chain strain, and continued workforce reductions as firms reacted to uncertainty surrounding the Iran conflict.

Much of the increase in production came from inventory stockpiling rather than durable customer demand. At the same time, major domestic investment announcements pointed to long-term industrial confidence, including Ferrara Candy’s $675 million South Carolina expansion expected to create 1,000 new food manufacturing jobs.

Upshot: The Iran conflict has overtaken tariffs as the dominant concern among purchasing managers, disrupting shipping routes, energy markets, and raw material supply chains.