Manufacturing growth eased from its breakneck pace in April as supply chain bottlenecks and material shortages increase backlogs and limit production efforts. The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index eased to 60.7 in April from a 38-year high of 64.7 in March. Readings above 50 indicate an expansion, and readings below 50 indicate a ... READ MORE >
The impact of Brexit on U.S. manufacturing companies
While Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016 and companies had about four years to prepare for the change, there was not much clarity on what Brexit would mean for companies until Dec. 24, 2020, when the post-Brexit trade deal—the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement—was finalized. Plenty of questions remain about what the specific impacts of the deal will ... READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Manufacturing remains strong despite labor, supply chain challenges
U.S. manufacturing activity remained robust in January but faced challenges on the labor and supply chain front, according to new data released Monday by the Institute for Supply Management. These challenges are limiting production and driving up prices. The ISM’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index – a key indicator of manufacturing activity – ... READ MORE >
Economic recovery drives up raw material prices
Manufacturing activity during the pandemic tanked in April and May last year and has been inching toward recovery ever since. As manufacturing activity rebounds, companies are experiencing volatility not just in demand but also in raw material prices, which have been rising. Recovery in the automotive, construction and certain other manufacturing sectors ... READ MORE >
China’s economic power: You may not like it, but you cannot ignore it
The pandemic, infrastructure and climate change policies will likely take precedence over trade in the Biden administration’s near-term agenda, but the new president’s trade positions will also be a key area of focus as the United States works toward economic recovery. China’s importance in global trade continues to grow. While the intention behind the ... READ MORE >
Container crunch pushes shipping rates to record highs
Surging demand for Asian imports and a shortage of containers are congesting U.S. ports, causing headaches for companies importing from Asia, skyrocketing shipping rates and surging purchase prices for containers. Another result? The previously humble shipping container is now a star of the show. Shipping rates for containers en route from Shanghai to Los ... READ MORE >
What’s the latest in U.S.-China trade?
China recently signed a regional trade agreement – the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) – with 14 other Asia-Pacific countries. Touted as the world’s largest regional free trade agreement, it includes countries that make up 30% of the world’s gross domestic product. But it does not include the United States, even though some of the ... READ MORE >
Manufacturing is recovering, but employment isn’t keeping pace
Industrial manufacturing activity is recovering from the economic turmoil induced by the pandemic, according to recent survey data from the Institute for Supply Management, but manufacturing employment has not rebounded at the same pace. After dropping to an 11-year low of 41.5 in April, the ISM’s manufacturing index – a key indicator of industry activity ... READ MORE >
June rebound in industrial production may be thwarted by virus resurgence
As more businesses in the United States reopened, U.S. industrial production and manufacturing output grew by 5.4% and 7.2% respectively in June, according to data released Wednesday by the Federal Reserve. The increase marks the second month in a row of growth for these indicators after a massive decline in April. However, given the resurgence in ... READ MORE >
New April data suggests more pain ahead for U.S. industrial sector
Business activity declined dramatically in New York state in early April, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s monthly survey of manufacturers there. The general business conditions index in the Fed’s Empire State Manufacturing Survey, released Wednesday, reflected a steep decline in business activity in April to -78.2 compared to -21 in ... READ MORE >