Manufacturing Demand for manufactured products shows little overall change in either direction. Minneapolis and San Francisco characterize their manufacturing sectors' performances as mixed, while growth in Atlanta is moderate except for construction and auto-related products. Orders to Boston, Richmond and Philadelphia firms are down, and sales have not changed lately in the Dallas District. Sales patterns differ greatly among industries. Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, and San Francisco mention strength in demand for primary metals, while Boston and Dallas note weakness in orders for computer, and some construction-related products.
Some districts report increased producer uncertainty about future demand.
In some cases, export demand appears to be stronger than domestic sales. Richmond notes exports of manufactures as among the few district manufacturing indicators that are not negative. Minneapolis says that strong foreign demand for producers' equipment has more than compensated for declines in domestic orders. In the Boston district, however, export sales are below a year earlier. With respect to changing costs of operation, a number of districts cite rising freight costs in the wake of energy price hikes.