Oxford’s Monthly Industry Briefings for February have been released and are available on the website. These reports contain the latest developments for eleven major industries around the globe with short industry briefs provided by Oxford Economics. These two-to-three-page briefs include a short-written summary, output/trend graphs, and an output table.
Basic Metals:
- Oxford Economics notes that over the past month, industrial metal markets have been volatile and responded to tariff threats and sanctions. According to Oxford Economics, the US relies on steel imports for an estimated 20%-25% of its domestic demand, and 40%-45% higher for imported aluminum. If the tariffs are imposed, Oxford Economics writes that US consumers will have to either reduce demand or pay the tariffs.
Construction:
- US housing starts fell 9.8% month over month in January 2025, according to Oxford Economics’ latest report. The West grew 42.4% m/m whereas the other US regions suffered slumps entering 2025.
Electronics and Computers:
- Oxford Economics writes the following on this sector:
Engineering and Metal Goods:
- Oxford Economics notes a slight contraction of 0.1% in this sector in January. Despite this, Oxford Economics still expects growth. Orders for capital goods have been accelerating, and unfilled order-to-shipment ratios are declining, indicating that companies are catching up with demand, according to Oxford Economics.
These reports and more are available to all NFPA members on the member hub. Questions? Contact Cecilia Bart at cbart@nfpa.com or 414-259-2027.
