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    Manufacturers/End Users

    September 3, 2026

    Defense and data centers lift manufacturing, Fed reports

    Written by David Schollaert

    Manufacturing picked up across 10 of the 12 Federal Reserve districts. It was again one of the stronger sectors in the Fed’s Sept. 2 Beige Book report.

    The steel industry has noted continued demand from defense work and data-center orders. Both were cited by the Fed as drivers across several regions. Cleveland reported robust manufacturing demand tied to the two. The New York district saw particular strength in manufacturing, and Dallas said growth picked up in the sector.

    David Schollaert

    David Schollaert is deputy editor-in-chief for Steel Market Update. David joined SMU after more than a decade in the metals and mining industry in a myriad of different roles. Much of his early experience and expertise were within the coverage and analysis of steel-making raw materials and served previously as senior editor of the CRU Prices Service. Most recently, however, before his return to market analysis, David held roles as a metals buyer and an operations manager for raw material suppliers. He can be contacted at david@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-720-1008.

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