McLean, Va. (April 16, 2026) —U.S. industrial production decreased in March 2026 after a strong uptick in February, according to the latest report issued by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Capacity utilization declined by a small margin. For manufacturers, both industrial production and capacity utilization fell by less than the overall index, -0.1% and -0.2%, respectively.
“The current economic environment is proving to be both a challenge and an opportunity for the producers and distributors of manufacturing technology. The report indicated the pullback in production of consumer goods, led by declines in automotive output, was partially offset by increasing output in the aerospace and defense sectors,” said Christopher Chidzik, principal economist of AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. “While manufacturers in consumer-facing industries may be on edge about additional investments in manufacturing technology, reports that the Pentagon has been approaching manufacturers about diversifying their industrial base have the potential to generate additional capacity needs in the coming months.”
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