The American Foundry Society, North America’s largest metal casting professional society and trade association, released quarterly survey results showing increasing economic optimism in the middle of March.
A total of 72 per cent of responding foundries described their economic outlook for 2026 as “positive,” whereas only fourteen per cent described it as “negative.” More than half of the respondents indicated casting sales had increased in the previous ninety days, while only twenty per cent had seen a decline.
“Factors contributing appreciably to the growing economic optimism include the AFS-backed 2025 tax bill which encourages capital investment, along with increased infrastructure investment stemming from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill, productivity growth and defence spending,” said AFS CEO Doug Kurkul. “The ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ alone will add 0.9 per cent to GDP growth this year, according to the Congressional Budget Office.”
In January, AFS projected casting sales in the US will grow by 4.2 per cent in 2026, with 52 per cent of the growth coming from pricing adjustments and 48 per cent coming from tonnage increases. AFS will provide its corporate members with an updated mid-year Forecast & Trends document again in July.
AFS warned that the casting industry still faces considerable challenges. Survey respondents cited inflation (in areas including energy, health care, insurance and materials) as well as worker shortages and lingering concerns about demand for castings among their top challenges. With 95 per cent of foundries making capital investments in 2026, it is further evidence of the industry’s resilience in the face of significant challenges. www.afsinc.org