FX.co ★ US Manufacturing Output Rises More Than Expected

Manufacturing output in the United States increased 0.2% month over month in February 2026, exceeding market expectations of a 0.1% gain and following a 0.8% rise in January. Output in the durable goods sector inched up 0.1%, with performance varying by category: production of motor vehicles and parts recorded the strongest increase, while machinery registered the largest decline. Nondurable goods output expanded 0.2%, as higher production of chemicals, plastic and rubber products, and paper products more than offset decreases in petroleum and coal products and in food, beverage, and tobacco products. The output of publishing and logging climbed 1.3%. Capacity utilization in manufacturing was unchanged in February at 75.6%, remaining 2.6 percentage points below its long-run average for the 1972–2025 period.