According to the 'U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report' published by AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology, order intake for metalworking machines amounted to a total of $583.4 million in May 2026. This represents a decrease of 1.8% compared to April 2026, but an increase of 47.8% compared to May 2025. In the first five months of 2026, orders for manufacturing technology totaled $2.77 billion, which is an increase of 31.9% compared to 2025.
Although recent events have significantly dampened the overall mood among businesses and consumers, the U.S. economy remains on solid ground, and the robust demand for machines gives reason for optimism. Investments in manufacturing technology suggest that manufacturers expect to need additional production capacity to meet the rising demand for products. The number of orders continues to grow more slowly than the order value. Part of this trend can be attributed to normal market forces affecting pricing; however, a much larger share is due to the growing demand for automation as companies try to increase their production to meet stronger demand forecasts – against the backdrop of nearly half a million open positions in the manufacturing sector.
Since December 2025, orders from contract manufacturers – the largest sector-specific consumer of manufacturing technology – have lagged behind the growth of total orders. In May 2026, orders were almost 10% below the average of the three previous months. A large part of the recent order growth can be attributed to investments from the aerospace industry. Despite a decline in orders in May 2026, the additional capacity needs arising from the expansion of aerospace production will continue to drive demand for machines. Economic growth in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2026 was accelerated by above-average demand for industrial equipment, largely attributed to the construction and equipping of data centers. Orders placed by industrial machinery manufacturers for manufacturing technology in May 2026 reached their highest level since November 2017. This capacity expansion could signal a positive surprise in corporate investments in the upcoming GDP releases.
Forecasts for order intake in the manufacturing technology sector for 2026 anticipated a stagnating to slightly declining trend. However, in the first five months, order intake has increased by almost 32% and is significantly above the usual level ahead of the IMTS – the International Manufacturing Technology Show – which could provide an additional boost to order intake in the second half of the year.
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