Manufacturers/End Users
March 31, 2026
Metalformers brace for flat quarter even as shipping activity climbs
Written by Laura Miller
Metalformers’ economic outlook for the second quarter softened in March, said the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA).
The PMA’s March Business Conditions Report showed metalforming manufacturers expect steady to increasing activity over the next three months.
PMA’s monthly report provides an economic indicator for the next three months of manufacturing, sampling 107 metalforming companies in the US and Canada.
A solid majority (64%) of manufacturers surveyed for the March report expect general economic activity to be flat over the next three months, up from 53% in February. While just 8% forecast a decrease, 28% predict an increase, but that’s down from 41%.
Half of metalformers (51%) anticipate incoming orders will rise in the coming months, down from 57% in February. Another 45% expect orders to remain stable vs. 41% in February.
March was the third month in a row that metalforming shipping levels rose, PMA said. Surveyed metalformers reporting an increase in current average daily shipping levels rose from 34% in February to 46% in March. Still, 48% reported no change for March.
PMA said its members are keeping an eye on developments in the Middle East and this summer’s potential trade developments, including the USMCA review and potential new tariffs on machinery stemming from a Section 301 investigation.
“The data suggest that members are closely tracking how these intersecting factors could affect operations and investment decisions,” PMA noted.
