New U.S. orders for metal cutting, forming and fabrication machinery (manufacturing technology) totaled $606 million in July 2026 — an 8.0% decrease from June but a 55.2% increase year-over-year. The monthly decrease followed a 15.6% jump in June. July was the fifth straight month that orders exceeded $500 million — which is only the second time that has happened since the Association for Manufacturing Technology began collecting data in 1998 for its monthly Manufacturing Technology Orders Report (USMTO).

Through the first seven months of 2026, orders totaled $4.03 billion — a 37.1%% increase vs. a year earlier. While the value of orders grew by over one-third, the number units ordered year-to-date was up only 13.0%. AMT said that although the market for metal cutting machinery has experienced modest inflationary pressures over the past two years, the difference between the growth rates of order value and unit volumes is largely attributable to sustained growth in demand for additional automation.

The July USMTO report emphasized the following points: 

• The decline in orders from June to July 2026 was driven by a pullback in investment from several customer industries, with one of the largest reductions coming from manufacturers of engines, turbines and other power transmission equipment. For the past two years, manufacturing technology orders from this sector have exceeded the long-run average by more than 35%, as demand on electrical grids has intensified
• Electrical equipment manufacturers increased orders in July 2026 to the year’s highest monthly level and the second-highest since March 2024 as they attempt to meet surging demand to update and augment the current grid infrastructure and meet increased demand from new construction, including data centers.
• Manufacturers in the forging and stamping sector increased orders to the highest level since December 2012
• A more promising sign is that investment from contract machine shops is beginning to outpace the overall market.