TEMPE, Ariz. — April 1, 2026 — Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in March for the third consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest ISM® Manufacturing PMI® Report.

The report was issued today by Susan Spence, MBA, Chair of the Institute for Supply Management® (ISM®) Manufacturing Business Survey Committee.

“The Manufacturing PMI^® registered 52.7 percent in March, a 0.3-percentage point increase compared to the reading of 52.4 percent in February. The overall economy continued in expansion for the 17th month in a row. (A Manufacturing PMI^® above 47.5 percent, over a period of time, generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy.) The New Orders Index expanded for the third straight month after four straight readings in contraction, registering 53.5 percent, down 2.3 percentage points compared to February’s figure of 55.8 percent. The March reading of the Production Index (55.1 percent) is 1.6 percentage points higher than February’s reading of 53.5 percent. The Prices Index remained in expansion (or ‘increasing’ territory), registering 78.3 percent, a 7.8-percentage point jump from February’s reading of 70.5 percent. In the last two months, the Prices Index has increased19.3 percentage points to reach its highest level since a reading of 78.5 percent in June 2022. The Backlog of Orders Index registered 54.4 percent, down 2.2 percentage points compared to the 56.6 percent recorded in February. The Employment Index registered 48.7 percent, down 0.1 percentage point from February’s figure of 48.7 percent,” says Spence.

“The Supplier Deliveries Index indicated a further slowing for the fourth month in a row after one month in ‘faster’ territory. The reading of 58.9 percent is up 3.8 percentage points from the 55.1 percent recorded in February. (Supplier Deliveries is the only ISM^® PMI^® Reports index that is inversed; a reading of above 50 percent indicates slower deliveries, which is typical as the economy improves and customer demand increases.)

“The Inventories Index registered 47.1 percent, down 1.7 percentage points compared to February’s reading of 48.8 percent. The Customers’ Inventories Index reading of 40.1 percent is a 1.3-percentage point increase compared to February.

“The New Export Orders Index reading of 49.9 percent is 0.4 percentage point lower than the reading of 50.3 percent registered in February and marks a return of this subindex to contraction territory. The Imports Index registered 52.6 percent, 2.3 percentage points lower than February’s reading of 54.9 percent.”

Spence continues, “In March, U.S. manufacturing activity remained in expansion territory, growing at a slightly faster pace than the month before. Of the five subindexes that make up the PMI^®, the New Orders Index indicated slower growth compared to the previous month, the Production Index grew at a faster rate, and the Employment and Inventories indexes remained in contraction. This month also marks the first report with panelists citing the Iran war as a new impact to their business, along with ongoing uncertainty with U.S. economic policy, despite the recent Supreme Court ruling striking down International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs. In March, 64 percent of comments overall were negative. Among the negative comments, about 20 percent cited tariffs and about 40 percent the war in the Middle East. (Some panelists referenced both topics within a single comment or in mixed sentiment.)

“Two demand indicators (the New Orders and Backlog of Orders indexes) are in expansion, the New Export Orders Index returned to contraction, and the Customers’ Inventories Index remains in ‘too low’ territory, contracting at a slightly slower rate. A ‘too low’ status for the Customers’ Inventories Index is usually considered positive for future production.

“Regarding output, the Production Index is in expansion for the fifth month in a row, and the Employment Index decreased by 0.1-percentage point and remains in contraction. Among panelists, 55 percent indicated that managing head counts remains the norm at their companies, as opposed to hiring.

“Finally, inputs (defined as supplier deliveries, inventories, prices and imports) had mixed results. The Supplier Deliveries Index indicated increasingly slowing deliveries, the Inventories Index contracted at a faster rate, and the Prices Index took another big leap — to 78.3 percent, from 70.5 percent in February. The Imports Index lost 2.3 percentage points for a reading of 52.6 percent, compared to 54.9 percent in February.

“Looking at the manufacturing economy, 16 percent of the sector’s gross domestic product (GDP) contracted in March, compared to 21 percent in February, and the percentage of manufacturing GDP in strong contraction (defined as a composite PMI^® of 45 percent or lower) increased to 4 percent, compared to 1 percent in February. The share of sector GDP with a PMI^® at or below 45 percent is a good metric to gauge overall manufacturing weakness. Of the six largest manufacturing industries, four (Transportation Equipment; Computer & Electronic Products; Machinery; and Chemical Products) expanded in March,” says Spence.

The 13 manufacturing industries reporting growth in March — listed in order — are: Printing & Related Support Activities; Primary Metals; Transportation Equipment; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Textile Mills; Computer & Electronic Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Machinery; Paper Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Wood Products; and Chemical Products. The three industries reporting contraction in March are: Plastics & Rubber Products; Furniture & Related Products; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products.

WHAT RESPONDENTS ARE SAYING

• “This is expected to be a transition year for the U.S. trucking market, with gradual stabilization driven by capacity tightening and replacement demand instead of growth. Demand should stay constrained by weak carrier profitability and high equipment costs but improve modestly late in the year.” [Transportation Equipment]
• “Changes in the tariff structure are bringing cautious opportunities to offset significant costs for the balance of 2026. The actions in Iran, however, add a new wrinkle to energy costs throughout the world, including India. We continue to try and plan for the unpredictable and unexpected.” [Transportation Equipment]
• “We’re seeing steady increases in activity, but geopolitical issues and the Iran war are already waning sentiment.” [Fabricated Metal Products]
• “Customer orders have increased considerably as the construction market remains strong, resulting in higher production volume and increased forecasts to suppliers.” [Machinery]
• “Current Middle East unrest is already starting to impact business operations by increasing lead times, costs, container delays and the like.” [Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products]
• “Lots of relief from Supreme Court striking down (emergency) tariffs, particularly with organic cane sugar from Brazil.” [Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products]
• “Geopolitical tensions related to the conflict in Iran are contributing to rising manufacturing supply costs, and ongoing tariff uncertainty is negatively impacting purchasing strategies and cost forecasts.” [Chemical Products]
• “Ongoing geopolitical instability has emerged as a persistent factor influencing global trade dynamics. We anticipate strategic realignment of supply chains as organizations respond to energy market volatility and shifting trade policies. In light of these macroeconomic headwinds, we — like most organizations — are maintaining a cautious posture regarding investment commitments while continuing to monitor market conditions closely. Our purchasing strategy is being recalibrated to address supply chain vulnerabilities exposed by energy market volatility and evolving trade protectionism.” [Chemical Products]
• “Metal commodity prices continue to put pressure on mechanical commodities. Memory price escalation is causing large cost increases that cannot be mitigated in other areas of the product cost.” [Computer & Electronic Products]
• “The Middle East war has created domestic and global turmoil for the olefins and polyolefins business. Feedstocks and finished product pricing are accelerating dramatically as Middle Eastern and Asian producers suffer from shipping blockages. Global customers for packaging resins are scrambling to cover needs from North America and South America in the face of supply chain complications.” [Plastics & Rubber Products]

ISM® Manufacturing PMI® Report data is seasonally adjusted for the New Orders, Production,
Employment and Inventories indexes.
*Number of months moving in current direction.

COMMODITIES REPORTED UP/DOWN IN PRICE AND IN SHORT SUPPLY

Commodities Up in Price
Aluminum (28); Chemical Products; Cooking Fats; Copper (9); Copper Based Products (4); Corn; Diesel Fuel; Electronic Components (3); Freight; Fuel; Memory Components; Methanol; Natural Gas (2); Plastics; Polypropylene (2); Precious Metals (3); Resins (2); Soybean Products; Steel (5); Steel — Hot Rolled (3); Steel — Stainless (2); Steel Products (4); Titanium Dioxide; and Tungsten Products (2).

Commodities Down in Price
None.

Commodities in Short Supply
Bearing Components; Electrical Components (9); Electronic Components (13); Memory (3); Rare Earth Components (5); and Semiconductors.

Note: The number of consecutive months the commodity is listed is indicated after each item.

MARCH 2026 MANUFACTURING INDEX SUMMARIES

Manufacturing PMI^®
The U.S. manufacturing sector expanded in March for the third straight month following a 10-month period of contraction, registering 52.7 percent, a 0.3-percentage point increase compared to February’s reading of 52.4 percent. Of the five subindexes that directly factor into the Manufacturing PMI^®, three (New Orders, Production and Supplier Deliveries) were in expansion territory, the same as in February. The Employment and Inventories indexes stayed in contraction, and both declined compared to February. Of the six largest manufacturing industries, four (Transportation Equipment; Computer & Electronic Products; Machinery; and Chemical Products) expanded in March,” says Spence. A reading above 50 percent indicates that the manufacturing sector is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates that it is generally contracting.

A Manufacturing PMI^® above 47.5 percent, over a period of time, generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy. Therefore, the March Manufacturing PMI^® indicates the overall economy grew for the 17th straight month. “The past relationship between the Manufacturing PMI^® and the overall economy indicates that the March reading (52.7 percent) corresponds to a 1.8-percent increase in real gross domestic product (GDP) on an annualized basis,” says Spence.

THE LAST 12 MONTHS

New Orders
ISM^®‘s New Orders Index expanded in March with a reading of 53.5 percent, a decrease of 2.3 percentage points compared to February’s reading of 55.8 percent. “Of the six largest manufacturing industries, four (Transportation Equipment; Computer & Electronic Products; Machinery; and Chemical Products) reported increased new orders. Demand sentiment was mixed, with a 1-to-1 ratio of positive to negative comments in March, a marked decrease from last month where there were two positive comments for every negative one,” says Spence. A New Orders Index above 51.9 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Census Bureau’s series on manufacturing orders (in constant 2000 dollars).

The 11 manufacturing industries that reported growth in new orders in March, in order, are: Printing & Related Support Activities; Primary Metals; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Transportation Equipment; Wood Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Machinery; Chemical Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; and Miscellaneous Manufacturing. The three industries reporting a decline in new orders in March are: Furniture & Related Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products.

Production
The Production Index expanded in March for the fifth month in a row, registering 55.1 percent, a 1.6-percentage point increase compared to February’s reading of 53.5 percent. “Of the six largest manufacturing industries, four (Transportation Equipment; Computer & Electronic Products; Machinery; and Chemical Products) reported increased production. Panelists had a 2-to-1 ratio of positive to negative comments regarding output,” says Spence. An index above 52 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Federal Reserve Board’s Industrial Production figures.

The 10 industries reporting growth in production during the month of March — listed in order — are: Printing & Related Support Activities; Primary Metals; Transportation Equipment; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Fabricated Metal Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Machinery; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Chemical Products; and Nonmetallic Mineral Products. The four industries reporting a decrease in production in March are: Furniture & Related Products; Paper Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Plastics & Rubber Products.

Employment
ISM^®‘s Employment Index registered 48.7 percent in March, 0.1 percentage point lower than February’s reading of 48.8 percent. “The index posted its 30th consecutive month of contraction after expanding in September 2023. Since January 2023, the Employment Index has contracted in 38 of 39 months. Of the six big manufacturing industries, two (Transportation Equipment; and Machinery) reported higher levels of employment in March. For every comment on hiring, there was 1.2 on reducing head counts,” says Spence. An Employment Index above 50.3 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on manufacturing employment.

Of the 18 manufacturing industries, seven reported employment growth in March in the following order: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Paper Products; Transportation Equipment; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Primary Metals; Machinery; and Miscellaneous Manufacturing. The eight industries reporting a decrease in employment in March, in the following order, are: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Furniture & Related Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Chemical Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Textile Mills.

Supplier Deliveries^†
Delivery performance of suppliers to manufacturing organizations was slower in March for the fourth consecutive month after one month of faster deliveries. “The Supplier Deliveries Index registered 58.9 percent, a 3.8-percentage point increase compared to the reading of 55.1 percent reported in February. Of the six big industries, five (Computer & Electronic Products; Transportation Equipment; Chemical Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Machinery) reported slower supplier deliveries,” says Spence. A reading below 50 percent indicates faster deliveries, while a reading above 50 percent indicates slower deliveries.

The 13 manufacturing industries reporting slower supplier deliveries in March, in order, are: Textile Mills; Paper Products; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Primary Metals; Furniture & Related Products; Transportation Equipment; Fabricated Metal Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Chemical Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Machinery; and Miscellaneous Manufacturing. No industry reported faster deliveries in March.

Inventories
The Inventories Index registered 47.1 percent in March, down 1.7 percentage points compared to the reading of 48.8 percent in February. “None of the six big industries expanded inventories in March,” says Spence. An Inventories Index greater than 44.5 percent, over time, is generally consistent with expansion in the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) figures on overall manufacturing inventories (in chained 2000 dollars).

Of 18 manufacturing industries, the four reporting higher inventories in March are: Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Wood Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; and Furniture & Related Products. The seven industries reporting lower inventories in March — listed in order — are: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Textile Mills; Plastics & Rubber Products; Paper Products; Primary Metals; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Chemical Products. Seven industries reported no change in inventories in March as compared to February.

Customers’ Inventories^†
ISM^®‘s Customers’ Inventories Index remained in “too low” territory in March with reading of 40.1 percent, an increase of 1.3 percentage points compared to the 38.8 percent reported in February but still the third lowest since August 2022. (For more information about the Customers’ Inventories Index, see the “Data and Method of Presentation” section below.)

The two industries that reported customers’ inventories as too high in March are: Miscellaneous Manufacturing; and Plastics & Rubber Products. The 12 industries reporting customers’ inventories as too low in March, in order, are: Printing & Related Support Activities; Paper Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Primary Metals; Computer & Electronic Products; Furniture & Related Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Transportation Equipment; Machinery; Chemical Products; and Wood Products.

Prices^†
The ISM^® Prices Index registered 78.3 percent in March, an increase of 7.8 percentage points over its February reading of 70.5 percent, indicating raw materials prices increased for the 18th straight month. The Prices Index has risen 19.3 percentage points in the last two months to hit its highest reading since June 2022 (78.5 percent). All the six largest manufacturing industries — Petroleum & Coal Products; Machinery; Chemical Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Transportation Equipment; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products, in that order — reported price increases in March. “The Prices Index reading continues to be driven by (1) increases in steel and aluminum prices that impact the entire value chain, (2) tariffs applied to many imported goods and now (3) increases in petroleum-based products as a result of the recent Middle East conflict. Higher prices were reported by 59.4 percent of respondents in March, up 14 percentage points from February’s 45.4 percent and the highest share since June 2022 (65.2 percent),” says Spence. A Prices Index above 52.8 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Producer Price Index for Intermediate Materials.

In March, the 17 industries that reported paying increased prices for raw materials, in order, are: Petroleum & Coal Products; Textile Mills; Primary Metals; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Machinery; Chemical Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Furniture & Related Products; Paper Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Transportation Equipment; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Wood Products. The only industry that reported paying decreased prices for raw materials in March was Printing & Related Support Activities.

Backlog of Orders^†
ISM^®‘s Backlog of Orders Index registered 54.4 percent in March, a decrease of 2.2 percentage points compared to the February reading of 56.6 percent. Of the six largest manufacturing industries, two (Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Computer & Electronic Products) reported expansion in order backlogs in March.

The 10 industries reporting higher backlogs in March — listed in order — are: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Primary Metals; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Paper Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Computer & Electronic Products; and Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components. The two industries reporting lower backlogs in March are: Furniture & Related Products; and Machinery. Six industries reported no change in backlog of orders in March as compared to February.

New Export Orders^†
ISM^®‘s New Export Orders Index returned to contraction in March, registering 49.9 percent, down 0.4 percentage point from February’s reading of 50.3 percent. “Trade frictions still are a major concern. For every positive comment on exports, there was a negative comment,” says Spence.

Of the 18 manufacturing industries, the four that reported growth in new export orders in March are: Primary Metals; Transportation Equipment; Chemical Products; and Machinery. The 10 industries that reported a decrease in new export orders in March — in the following order — are: Printing & Related Support Activities; Petroleum & Coal Products; Furniture & Related Products; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Textile Mills; Plastics & Rubber Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Computer & Electronic Products.

Imports^†
ISM^®‘s Imports Index decreased in March to 52.6 percent, a 2.3-percentage point drop compared to February’s reading of 54.9 percent.

The nine industries reporting higher imports in March — in the following order — are: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; Transportation Equipment; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Chemical Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Computer & Electronic Products; and Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components. The five industries that reported lower volumes in March are: Textile Mills; Paper Products; Furniture & Related Products; Primary Metals; and Machinery.

^†The Supplier Deliveries, Customers’ Inventories, Prices, Backlog of Orders, New Export Orders, and Imports indexes do not meet the accepted criteria for seasonal adjustments.

Buying Policy
The average commitment lead time for Capital Expenditures in March was 170 days, a decrease of nine days compared to February. The average lead time in March for Production Materials was 82 days, an increase of three days compared to February. The average lead time for Maintenance, Repair and Operating (MRO) Supplies was 44 days, a decrease of two days compared to February.

Posted: April 4, 2026

Source: Institute for Supply Management (ISM)