Fashion
US manufacturing performance improves in March 2026
The seasonally-adjusted S&P Global US manufacturing PMI recorded 52.3 in March. That was an improvement from 51.6 in February and indicative of a moderate rate of expansion. It was the eighth successive month that the PMI has posted above the critical 50 no-change mark.
However, with tariffs continuing to hit new export sales, US growth was principally driven by higher domestic demand. Moreover, this in part reflected some client safety stock building due to the war in the Middle East, which drove up inflation and added to supply-chain stress.
US manufacturing performance improved in March, with growth solid and picking up since February amid better gains in both output and new orders, S&P Global US manufacturing PMI data show.
However, with tariffs continuing to hit new export sales, US growth was principally driven by higher domestic demand.
Firms are hopeful that March’s overall increase in sales will be sustained over the coming months.
March’s survey signalled notable accelerations in both input and output price inflation, whilst the time taken to deliver inputs to manufacturers deteriorated to the greatest degree since October 2022, a release from S&P Global said.
Meanwhile, confidence in the outlook softened fractionally, with firms noting worries over higher energy prices and tariffs.
Employment numbers were little changed overall.
Higher output and new orders helped to support the PMI in March. In both instances, growth rates were solid.
Firms are hopeful that March’s overall increase in sales will be sustained over the coming months. Confidence in the outlook remained positive overall.
However, worries over energy prices and tariffs meant expectations softened slightly since February.
Heightened uncertainty in the outlook prompted some firms to build safety stocks, resulting in strong growth in purchasing activity. Overall buying rose at one of the fastest rates since June 2025, though input inventories remained unchanged in March.
Firms adopted a more cautious approach to hiring, with staffing levels largely unchanged. Meanwhile, vendor delivery times deteriorated to the greatest extent in nearly three-and-a-half years, as the war in the Middle East disrupted transportation and worsened supplier stock shortages.
The conflict also pushed up global energy prices, adding to cost pressures. In response, firms raised their selling prices where possible, driving factory gate inflation to a seven-month high in March.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Kenneth Straka, Senior Product Development Manager at Deckers Outdoor Corporation, said that Deckers places strong emphasis on sustainability, noting that founder John Luke often reminded the team that the French word for sustainability is durability. This idea aligned with discussions at the Global Fashion Summit, where the theme centred on “Building Resilient Futures” in the sustainable and circular economy.
Durability has helped UGG become one of the most sought-after boot brands and a key sales driver for Deckers, alongside its sportswear brand Hoka. “One of the things we think about in terms of circularity is making products that last a long time and remain with consumers throughout their lives. We want products that consumers can wear for ** or ** years,” Straka said in an interview with Fibre*Fashion on the sidelines of the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen.
In the Tiruppur market, cotton yarn prices increased by ****;*–* per kg in this week despite sluggish local demand. Prices were quoted higher because of limited supply from spinning mills. A trader from the Tiruppur market told Fibre*Fashion, “Domestic demand remained limited, but spinning mills are not relying solely on the domestic market for cotton yarn sales. They are focusing more on exports, where demand and prices remain attractive. Mills have raised yarn prices following higher ICE cotton prices and the CCI’s increase in auction base prices, although ICE cotton has witnessed a sharp decline over the past two days.”
In Tiruppur, knitting cotton yarn prices were noted as: ** count combed cotton yarn at ****;***–*** (~$*.**–*.**) per kg (excluding GST), ** count combed cotton yarn at ****;***–*** (~$*.**–*.**) per kg, ** count combed cotton yarn at ****;***–*** (~$*.**–*.**) per kg, ** count carded cotton yarn at ****;***–*** (~$*.**–*.**) per kg, ** count carded cotton yarn at ****;***–*** (~$*.**–*.**) per kg, and ** count carded cotton yarn at ****;***–*** (~$*.**–*.**) per kg.
BGMEA president Mahmud Hasan Khan said they discussed export diversification within the garment sector, reopening of closed factories and many factories’ struggle for survival.
Representatives of two top Bangladesh garment trade bodies recently met PM Tarique Rahman and urged him to ensure uninterrupted power and energy supply, quick release of export receipts from banks, reopening of closed factories and easing of customs regulations.
BKMEA raised concerns about misuse of the bond facility and urged action against violators of bond licences.
104 factories have informed the BGMEA about their closure till now, Khan said. BGMEA will scrutinise these cases to identify the genuine reasons for the closures.
Following the scrutiny, the association will send recommendations for reopening these factories, as the government is working to open a Tk 200-billion fund to assist their revival.
BKMEA president Mohammad Hatem said some 400 factories closed in the last three years—nearly 300 of them due to non-cooperation from banks. He said banks release export receipts to exporters’ lien accounts, but delays in payment often force loans into default, leaving exporters unable to pay suppliers on time.
He also demanded uninterrupted supply of power and gas to industrial units as recent shortages of fuel oil have severely affected productivity, according to domestic media ooutlets.
Hatem raised concerns about misuse of the bond facility and urged action against violators of bond licences.
He also called for easing the rules of the National Board of Revenue, particularly customs procedures, to smoothen export and import processes and reduce lead times.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
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