Industrial Machinery Manufacturers NAICS 3332

Sep 30, 2025 - US to Investigate Industrial Machinery Imports

• The Commerce Department in September initiated an investigation to determine the effects on national security of imports of robotics and industrial machinery, according to the Federal Register. The probe, opened under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, will examine the national security implications of imports of a wide array of industrial equipment, including robots and programmable, computer-controlled mechanical systems, turning and milling machines, grinding and deburring equipment, and industrial stamping and pressing machines. Other items included are automatic tool changers, jigs and fixtures, and machine tools for cutting and welding. The investigation could result in tariffs on imports of such equipment. The department is seeking information on domestic production and demand, the role and risks of major foreign exporters, and the impact of foreign government subsidies and trade practices on the robotics and industrial machinery markets.
• A bipartisan group in Congress has introduced legislation that would boost manufacturing by small US firms, Barron’s reported in May. The Made in America Manufacturing Finance Act supports the Trump administration’s efforts to revive US manufacturing and create jobs. The bill would raise the $5 million cap on Small Business Administration 7(a) and 504 loans to $10 million, but only for manufacturers. (The current $5 million limit hasn’t changed since 2010.) The 7(a) program offers flexible financing for working capital, equipment, and real estate, while the 504 program is typically used for fixed assets like land and large machinery. The 7(a) loan program, which guarantees loans issued by banks and nonbank lenders, has long been a cornerstone of small business financing. Lenders broadly support the bill, but would like to see it applied to all small business loans, according to Forbes.

• The Trump administration’s on-again, off-again tariff strategy is sending ripples through industrial manufacturing, significantly impacting production costs, supply chains, and overall competitiveness in the machinery and industrial equipment sector, Manufacturing.Net reports. The implementation of an additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports, suspension of de minimis exemptions for Chinese shipments, and newly announced (and since delayed) 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, are causing confusion and requiring manufacturers to quickly adapt to mitigate potential cost spikes and avoid supply disruptions. The higher costs for imported components and raw materials is particularly acute in industrial manufacturing, where steel, aluminum, machinery parts, and electronic components are key production inputs. The 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports are increasing the cost of industrial machinery, construction equipment, and transportation infrastructure, saddling US manufacturers of heavy machinery with higher input costs for essential materials, according to Manufacturing.Net.
• Producer prices for industrial machinery manufacturers rose 2.2% in August compared to a year ago, after rising 3.5% in the previous August-versus-August annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Industry producer prices reached all-time highs this summer as manufacturers’ input costs rose. Employment by the industry inched up 0.4% year over year in July, while average wages at industrial machinery manufacturers climbed 7.5% over the same period to a new high of $32.26 per hour, BLS data show. New orders and shipments of industrial machinery rose sharply in July, up 18.4% and 17.1% YoY, respectively, per Census Bureau data.