Machine Shops NAICS 332710

Oct 18, 2025 - US to Investigate Industrial Machinery Imports

• The Commerce Department in September launched an investigation to determine the effects on national security of imports of robotics and industrial machinery, according to a notice in 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 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.
• Should the Commerce Department’s investigation of imports of robotics and industrial machinery result in the imposition of new tariffs, it would saddle machine shops with additional costs for imported CNC machining centers, turning and milling machines, grinding and deburring equipment, and industrial stamping and pressing machines, American Machinist reports. The department’s investigation also includes automatic tool changers, jigs and fixtures, and machine tools for cutting, welding, and handling work pieces. Many other products also could be subject to tariffs, including equipment used to treat, form, or cut metal, metal finishing and treatment equipment, electric discharge machinery (EDM), and laser and water-cutting tools and machinery. The public comment period, which closed on October 17, gathered input on topics including US supply and demand, global supply chains and risks, and economic and trade impacts, in addition to US national security.

• How do you grow a company, hire skilled workers, and pay off debt all at the same time? That question is on the minds of many small business owners today, including the CEO and co-founder of a family-owned prototype machines shop in New Mexico with 11 employees that brings in a little more than $2 million annually and is carrying over $1.6 million in debt. In an environment where it's becoming increasingly difficult to find, hire, and retain skilled workers, owners have no choice but to pay them what they’re worth or lose them to other shops. Personal finance expert Dave Ramsey told the shop owner who called his EntreLeadership podcast that paying fair, competitive wages is a non-negotiable part of business, even for companies burdened with debt. “If the new hire can bring in more value than they cost,” Ramsey said, “then they’re worth it.”
• Producer prices for machine shops rose 2.8% in August compared to a year ago after rising 1.3% in the previous August-versus-August annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Industry producer prices, which have been rising steadily since mid-2021, were near their all-time high in August. Employment by machine shops shrank 2.3% year over year in July, while the average industry wage rose by 3% over the same period to a new high of $28.28 per hour, BLS data show. Machine shops have been raising wages to attract and retain skilled workers amid the skilled labor shortage in the US manufacturing sector.