U.S. Manufacturing’s Mixed Picture in 4 Charts
President Trump vowed to bring factories back. Is he succeeding?
Graphics by Karl Russell
Farah Stockman covers manufacturing. Karl Russell visualizes economic and market data.
President Trump’s second term has been marked by a flurry of company pledges to expand production in the United States. From Apple’s plan to source glass covers for iPhones from a Kentucky plant to Stellantis’s investments across four states, the announcements suggest a resurgence of industrial activity.
Tariffs have pushed some companies to boost manufacturing in the United States, but have also driven up the cost of raw materials and specialized machines. Federal incentives for clean energy have been rolled back, prompting some electric vehicle battery plants to be canceled. And the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration has made it more difficult for some facilities to hire workers.
These challenges, along with other longstanding issues, such as underinvestment in technology and training programs, weigh on the sector and offer a mixed picture of success.
The factory construction boom may be leveling off.
Factory construction in the United States has increased, spurred by supply-chain disruptions during the Covid-19 pandemic and large federal subsidies for semiconductors and clean energy passed during the Biden administration. But there are signs that the boom could be fading.
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