51�Թ���

Washington, D.C. –��Manufacturers continue to report a mixed bag of economic challenges, according to the��51�Թ��� Q4 2025 Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey. As manufacturers began feeling the positive impacts of the tax bill and the president’s regulatory agenda on their business, optimism ticked up, but trade uncertainties loom, and health care costs continue to rise as a top concern for manufacturers.

“In line with the improvement in the outlook, companies expect most indices to improve marginally over the next 12 months,” said 51�Թ��� Chief Economist Victoria Bloom. “For example, manufacturers predict sales will increase 2.8%, up from 2.6% in Q3, and capital investments will grow 1.4%, up from 1.0% in the prior quarter. That said, while sentiment has improved, we are still below the historical average of 74%.”

Optimism rose 4.9 percentage points, with 69.9% of respondents reporting a positive outlook for their companies, up from 65.0% in Q3. Yet, in line with last quarter, trade uncertainties remained the top business challenge at 73.1%, with 80.3% of respondents reporting they have paid tariffs on imported manufacturing inputs since the start of the year. Additionally, rising health care and insurance costs rose to manufacturers’ second-highest business concern at 70.2%, with more than 94% of manufacturers expecting higher health insurance premiums in 2026, projecting an average jump of 11%. A weaker domestic economy and sales to U.S. customers ranked as the third-highest concern at 60.1%.

Other Key Survey Findings:

• A majority of manufacturers��(80.3%)��report paying tariffs on imported manufacturing inputs since the start of 2025, led by��58.6%��of respondents paying Section 232 tariffs,��52.1%��paying reciprocal tariffs on other countries under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and��50.0%��paying Section 301 tariffs on China.
• Tariffs are impacting manufacturers of all sizes, with��72.8%��of small and medium-sized manufacturers with fewer than 500 employees paying tariffs on inputs this year—alongside��97%��of large manufacturers.
• When it comes to hiring needs,��72.1%��of respondents cite skilled production workers (technicians, welders and machinists),��60.1%��point to core production workers (operators, assemblers and packaging) and��33.5%��say they need high-skilled, degreed workers (scientists, researchers and engineers).
• Climate disclosure regulations are costing manufacturers, with more than one-third��(38.2%)��of manufacturers subject to new international or state laws and regulations requiring disclosure of emissions and climate risks. Of those respondents,��91.6%��face increased reporting costs and are diverting funds from productive uses to pay these added costs.
• 82.3%��of respondents indicated it is important to their companies for Congress to pass legislation maintaining robust, multiyear infrastructure investment to support manufacturing.

The 51�Թ��� releases these results to the public each quarter. Further information on the survey is available��here.

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The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.90 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the 51�Թ��� or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit��.

733 10th St. NW, Suite 700 • Washington, DC 20001 • (202) 637-3000

Washington, D.C. – Following the release of President Trump’s executive order to direct federal agencies to institute much-needed reforms to proxy advisory firms, 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement:

“Manufacturers thank President Trump for taking action to rein in proxy advisory firms and depoliticize shareholder proposals—protecting manufacturers and Main Street investors alike. With Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis controlling 97% of the proxy advice market, manufacturers have long argued that these firms wield outsized, harmful influence on businesses—threatening growth and endangering shareholder returns.

“By directing federal agencies to protect manufacturers and Main Street investors from this duopoly, the president’s EO will increase transparency, reduce errors, mitigate conflicts of interest and depoliticize the proxy process. Manufacturers have been calling for these reforms for years, and we look forward to engaging with the SEC, DOL and FTC as they work to rein in these firms’ outsized influence.”

Background:

Following years of 51�Թ��� advocacy, the SEC finalized a rule during the first Trump administration to rein in proxy firms; the rule was rescinded in 2021 following the change in presidential administrations.

Earlier this year, the 51�Թ��� submitted detailed recommendations to the SEC of policies that would depoliticize the shareholder proposal process and provide meaningful oversight of proxy advisory firms. In November, the 51�Թ��� released a new five-pager detailing specific steps Congress and the SEC should take to reform proxy firms and depoliticize corporate shareholder proposals.

-51�Թ���-

The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.90 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the 51�Թ��� or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit .

Washington, D.C. –����In response��to President Trump’s executive order��on state��regulation of��artificial intelligence,��51�Թ�����President and CEO Jay Timmons��released the following statement:

“As the president demonstrates his commitment to both advancing American technological��dominance��and��bolstering investment in manufacturing, he is rightly recognizing��that��winning the global race for AI��hinges on getting��AI policy��right, which means avoiding a cumbersome 50-state patchwork of laws and regulations that would throttle��interstate commerce,��stifle innovation,��limit��AI��adoption��and��erode America’s competitive edge.

“As��we��laid out in ‘Manufacturing’s Roadmap to AI and Energy Dominance,’��policymakers should review��existing laws��and��regulations to��identify��barriers to innovation,��ensure context-specific��rules,��encourage��transparency��and ensure a level playing field for developers and manufacturers alike.��AI innovations are already transforming shop floors across the country. Fifty-one percent of manufacturers surveyed by the ��already have embedded AI in their operations, and 80%��expect it to be essential for their operations by 2030.

“Manufacturers��support��the administration’s approach toward��avoiding a 50-state patchwork that would prevent America from winning the global AI race. Instead of a complex, costly and burdensome patchwork, manufacturers back tailored rules that narrowly��target��specific use-cases and well-identified risks without diminishing the potential breakthroughs and economic impact that could be harnessed by American innovators.��We encourage Congress to��emulate the president’s��risk-based��approach��with legislation��that will��codify��his administration’s��vision of a streamlined��and nimble AI agenda��to support��competition and American innovation.”

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Washington, D.C. – Following the Department of the Interior’s announcement today of a new offshore leasing program, 51�Թ��� Managing Vice President of Policy Charles Crain released the following statement:

“Manufacturers welcome the Department of the Interior’s plan to expand offshore oil and gas development. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum is taking a critical step to unleash American energy dominance and drive down energy prices. Today’s action also underscores the need to advance streamlined, durable permitting reform that ensures new energy projects can move forward quickly while protecting the environment.”

The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.90 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the 51�Թ��� or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit .

Washington, D.C. – Today, 51�Թ��� Managing Vice President of Policy Charles Crain testified before the House Small Business Committee at its hearing, “Made in the USA: How Main Street Is Revitalizing Domestic Manufacturing.”

In his testimony, Crain thanked the Small Business Committee for its leadership on the recent tax reform package, which made pro-growth, pro-manufacturing tax policy a permanent part of the tax code, giving small and medium-sized manufacturers much-needed certainty. However, by addressing other ongoing challenges, Congress can strengthen and protect the success of H.R. 1.

In his opening remarks, Crain outlined the opportunities:

“Congress and the administration can pursue what we’ve called a ‘comprehensive manufacturing strategy.’

• That means rebalancing unworkable regulations and reforming America’s broken permitting process;
• It means investing in our nation’s infrastructure and supporting American energy dominance;
• It means providing trade certainty that empowers manufacturers to make things in America;
• And it means investing in the manufacturing workforce of the future.

“We need all of these policies to build on the success of tax reform, to unlock small manufacturing growth and to drive a true manufacturing renaissance.”

He closed his remarks by encouraging the committee to build on this year’s success:

“This is the road to a manufacturing renaissance. It runs through a comprehensive manufacturing strategy—ensuring that all parts of the federal government are rowing in the same direction: toward an empowered, emboldened, exceptional manufacturing industry.

“Backed by the right policy choices, small manufacturers will deliver—for our communities, for our country and for our preeminence on the world stage.

“Because when manufacturing wins, America wins.”

Read Crain’s full written testimony here.

-51�Թ���-

The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.90 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the 51�Թ��� or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit .

Washington, D.C. –��Following Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin’s announcement of a new proposed Waters of the United States rule, 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement:

“Manufacturers thank EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin for listening to the concerns of our industry and revising the definition of the Waters of the United States rule to bring certainty and predictability.

“For too long, the regulatory structure under the WOTUS rule, which often has included shifting and unclear definitions, has created legal uncertainty for manufacturers in the U.S., undermining our ability to invest and build across the country. Understanding which bodies of water require federal oversight under the Clean Water Act is critical for manufacturers planning new projects.

“Manufacturers have spent decades calling for a durable, practical approach to WOTUS—one that provides clear permitting standards and supports our industry’s commitment to environmental stewardship.

“Even after the Supreme Court’s decision in��Sackett v. EPA, which established a narrower definition for��bodies of water that fall under federal jurisdiction, the EPA’s 2023 rule unnecessarily rewrote critical permitting standards, overlooked substantial public input and failed to fully reflect the Court’s guidance.

“Manufacturers appreciate Administrator Zeldin’s leadership in advancing this proposal, which provides a definition that is more consistent with the law and that better serves manufacturers and the communities we support across America. We look forward to working with the agency to achieve a strong final rule for manufacturers.”

Background

In December 2024, the 51�Թ���, along with more than 100 manufacturing associations, sent a��letter��to President Donald Trump laying out a roadmap for regulatory actions that would boost the manufacturing economy, including revising the WOTUS rule. The 51�Թ��� also called for changes to WOTUS in recommendations����to the Office of Management and Budget in April.

The 51�Թ��� has��long argued��against a more expansive interpretation of WOTUS. The 51�Թ��� submitted multiple sets of comments regarding the 2015 WOTUS rule to better inform policymakers. During President Trump’s first term, the 51�Թ��� supported the 2017 executive order instructing the EPA to rescind the rule, and the 51�Թ��� Legal Center had been in active litigation against the rule starting in 2015. The legal battle included a����for the 51�Թ��� at the U.S. Supreme Court on a key procedural issue, and in 2019, federal judges invalidated the rule.

In 2019, former EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and former Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works R.D. James��joined��Timmons at 51�Թ��� headquarters to announce the finalization of a rule to repeal the 2015 WOTUS rule and clear the way for a new rule to protect America’s water resources without overstepping the bounds of the law.

In 2022, the Biden administration revised the 2019 rule. The rule was again revised following a Supreme Court decision in��Sackett v. EPA��in 2023 that narrowed the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act and all regulations within its authority.

-51�Թ���-

The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.90 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the 51�Թ��� or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit��.��

733 10th St. NW, Suite 700 • Washington, DC 20001 • (202) 637-3000

Washington, D.C. – 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons issued the following statement on��the latest trade deals.��

“Today, President Trump, Secretary Bessent��and Ambassador Greer delivered a major win for the American people with trade deals that keep the products that power daily life—like coffee,��bananas��and cocoa—affordable for working families and manufacturers.��That’s��something to celebrate. Today’s announcement will empower companies in the food and beverage supply chain to bring certain critical ingredients and inputs to the United States��in order to��enable and expand production at home.��

“The U.S. is the strongest manufacturing power in the world, and thanks to this administration, manufacturers have made bold investments to enhance our ability to produce the essential inputs on our own shores. But just as coffee primarily must be produced elsewhere, the same is true for a range of critical manufacturing inputs and machinery that keep our factories humming and��determine��whether the next manufacturing dollar is spent in America. Americans run on coffee—and America’s manufacturers run on indispensable materials,��machinery��and equipment.��

“We’ve��had productive conversations with the administration about applying this principle, using the��51�Թ���’s U.S. Manufacturing Investment Accelerator Program, to essential manufacturing inputs—such as the critical minerals, industrial machinery and materials that drive our economy and strengthen our long-term ability to make more things in America. ��

“Even at full industrial capacity, the U.S. can only produce about 84% of the inputs manufacturers need—meaning at least 16% must be imported for us to build more here at home.��That’s��why��we’ve��offered practical, pro-growth solutions that allow manufacturers to bring in non-domestically produced inputs without adding��new cost��burdens—while rewarding companies that invest, expand��and create jobs in America.��

“Manufacturers are expanding capacity in America, and increasing domestic production will strengthen our industrial base and our national security. But tariffs on essential manufacturing inputs raise costs on factory floors, slow investment in new equipment��and risk undercutting the��president’s efforts to boost U.S. manufacturing output and jobs.��

“The��president’s tax, regulatory and energy dominance agendas are designed to stimulate manufacturing investment and job creation here in America. Empowering manufacturers to bring needed inputs, equipment and machinery to America’s shores would supercharge that investment, ensure the success of the��president’s agenda and bring new prosperity and opportunity to communities from coast to coast.”��

-51�Թ���-��

The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States,��representing��small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs��nearly��13��million men��and women, contributes��$2.90 trillion��to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the 51�Թ��� or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit .��

Washington, D.C. – 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement on the passing of former Vice President Dick Cheney:��

Photo Credit: Ian Wagriech, 51�Թ�����

��Former White House photographer and 51�Թ��� Director of Photography Dave Bohrer interviews Vice President Cheney at the 51�Թ��� board meeting in September 2018.��

“With a career in public service that spanned decades, Vice President Cheney demonstrated an unwavering commitment to those values that have made America exceptional and that manufacturers strive to advance: free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity.��

“Chief of staff under President Ford and a six-term congressman during the Reagan Revolution, he was a power player during some of the most consequential times in Washington. Our defense secretary during the Gulf War and a calm presence during 9/11, he was guided by a sense of duty to keep America safe—because America was a nation and idea worth protecting. A patriotic citizen, he lent his voice to the cause of family equality and in defense of our very democracy.��

“Vice President Cheney believed that America was a force for good. He once wrote, ‘There is no other like us. There never has been.’ And indeed, there is no other like Dick Cheney. There never has been. Our deepest condolences to Lynne, Liz, Mary and their entire family.”��

-51�Թ���-��

The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.90 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the 51�Թ��� or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit .��

733 10th St. NW, Suite 700 • Washington, DC 20001 • (202) 637-3000��

WASHINGTON, D.C.—��The 51�Թ��� today released Manufacturing’s Roadmap to AI and Energy Dominance, a blueprint outlining the steps policymakers must take to strengthen America’s energy and artificial intelligence dominance—including comprehensive permitting reform.

Manufacturers are leading the way—integrating AI into every part of their operations, from product design, to shop floor operations, to supply chain management. More than half of manufacturers (51%) already use AI, and 80% say it will be essential to grow or even maintain their business by 2030, according to the , the digital transformation division of the 51�Թ���.

The roadmap lays out principles that will advance U.S. energy production and, in turn, unlock the full potential of AI. AI is transforming manufacturing—but without abundant, affordable energy and a resilient and reliable power grid, America risks falling behind. AI-powered modern manufacturing depends on an ambitious energy and innovation policy framework—which can be achieved in part by reforms to America’s broken permitting system.

“Manufacturing sits at the crossroads of America’s energy dominance, AI leadership and the strength of our power grid,” said 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons. “If America wants to win the global race for AI, we must first win on energy. That means advancing the administration’s goals for energy dominance—through bipartisan, comprehensive permitting reform, modernized infrastructure and an all-of-the-above energy strategy that allows manufacturers to innovate, build and grow right here at home.”

AI-powered manufacturing depends on forward-looking energy and innovation policies. Policymakers must do the following:

• Reform America’s broken permitting process to get shovels in the ground faster—with fewer delays and less uncertainty. Eighty percent of manufacturers say that the length and complexity of the permitting process is harmful to increasing investment.
• Bolster American energy dominance. America’s energy demand is surging—and the pace isn’t slowing. Manufacturers need to be able to produce and use every energy source available to meet this critical moment. Ninety-four percent of manufacturers support permitting reforms around the buildout of energy generation, infrastructure and products.
• Ensure a reliable, resilient and affordable grid that can power manufacturing growth and data center operations. Eighty percent of manufacturers want the Trump administration to work with Congress to deliver comprehensive permitting reform legislation to increase energy generation and grid modernization to supply the energy needed to power both AI growth and traditional manufacturing.
• Strengthen American AI leadership by fostering innovation and preventing regulatory overreach. Eighty-seven percent of manufacturers say it is important for lawmakers to understand how manufacturers use AI.

Read the full roadmap here.

-51�Թ���-

The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.90��trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the 51�Թ��� or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit��.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement celebrating plans to reopen the former Mead paper mill in Chillicothe, Ohio, under new ownership by U.S. Medical Glove Company.

“Never bet against the people of Chillicothe and Ross County. And never bet against the vibrancy of manufacturing in the United States.

“As a proud son of Chillicothe, Ohio, and the proud grandson of someone who supported and sustained his family through a manufacturing career that spanned four decades on the shop floor of the paper mill, I am thrilled to see that Mead has found new life.

“But I am not surprised.

“Manufacturing in the United States is anchored in the qualities that make this country exceptional. Those qualities that define us—those qualities that define our industry—include the values of innovation, resilience and reinvention. This is the story not only of Chillicothe’s comeback but the ever-larger leadership of our nation’s indispensable sector: U.S. manufacturing.

“And the success of our industry depends on leaders who invest in the workers, the facilities, the communities and the policy that our sector needs to propel our nation as the best place on Earth to build, grow, invest and hire. Because when we invest in manufacturing, we not only strengthen the hand of the United States on the world stage. We invest in the American people.

“Manufacturing opens doors—to strong, secure and prosperous families, to greater investments in our parks, roads, bridges and schools, and to the optimism at the heart of the dignity of work. And under the ownership of U.S. Medical Glove Company, those doors in Chillicothe swing wide open again.

“I congratulate the great people of Chillicothe and Ross County—and give my thanks to all of the leaders who made this possible, including Ross County Commissioners, Chillicothe Mayor Luke Feeney,��Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Attorney General Dave Yost, Sens. Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted, as well as Congressman Dave Taylor.

“To Sen. Moreno—who wrote letters, held rallies and shaped negotiations to find a new owner to keep the mill open—you in particular have reminded us that our nation’s prosperity does not guarantee itself. Leaders do. And you have led, like all of the manufacturing champions in our nation have led, to make sure that manufacturing in this country, in Chillicothe and so many communities like it, beats on as a powerhouse of prosperity.”

-51�Թ���-

The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.90��trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the 51�Թ��� or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit��.