MT Magazine November/December 2025

Making It in the United States Yes, there are challenges in manufacturing. But there are plenty of opportunities, too. BY GARY S. VASILASH CONTRIBUTING DIRECTOR Although there is certainly more than a small amount of roiling in U.S. durable goods manufacturing due to tariff uncertainties, let’s face it: At the end of the day, consumers still need to consume. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories, and Orders (M3) program, which is managed by the agency’s Economic Indicators Division, some industries are more than holding their own. Durable goods orders in August increased by $8.9 billion from July, a 2.9% rise, bringing the month’s total to $312.1 billion. Notably, of that total, one sector increased by $8.1 billion on its own: transportation equipment. Yes, planes, trains, and automobiles (although there is a whole lot more activity in the first and last than the middle). In terms of planes, the commercial aircraft industry essentially comes down to two: Boeing and Airbus.