After ꦿnearly two years of lackluster production, the U.S. factory sector’s efforts to mount a comeback slowed in February, with a closely-watched industry survey showing that tariff worries were making manufacturers nervous.

The Institute of Supply Management's manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) survey showed that the factory sector expanded in February with a 50.3% reading. It’s the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:second month in a row the index has registered above 50, indicating an expanding manufacturing sector, after 26 straܫight months of contraction. 

However, the February survey reading was down from the month before and came lower than economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires expected.

The report 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:weighed on market sentiment Monday as investors have grown in🐼creasingly concerned about the health of the economy and the impact of policies being pursued by the Tr♑ump administration.

Tariffs Spur Concerns About Inflation

Selected commentary from the factory managers answering the survey pointed to worries over President Donald Trump’s tariff policy, which includes 25% levies on Canada and Mexico 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:set to go into effect tomorrow. 

“New orders plunged into contraction in Febru🎐ary as tariff uncertainty caused many downstream consumers to take a wait-and-see approach to expenses in 2025,” wrote Nationwide Senior Economist Ben Ayers.

The potential impact of the tariffs was already causin🦩g some real price increases for manufacturers, as🤪 the prices paid index rose by 7.5 percentage points to hit 62.4% in February.

“Prices growth accelerated due to tariffs, causing new order placement backlogs, supplier delivery stoppages and manufacturing inventory impacts,” said Timothy Fiore, chair of the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee.