SARASOTA, Florida, Aug. 31, 2026 — U.S. manufacturers are moving more production and sourcing to the United States. Policy uncertainty, import price competition and shortages of skilled workers are limiting the pace of reshoring, however, according to the 2026 USA Reshoring Survey from the Reshoring Initiative and Regions Recruiting.
The second annual study surveyed 249 manufacturers — 118 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and 131 contract manufacturers (CMs). It found stronger reshoring activity among OEMs, a growing pipeline of reshoring opportunities for domestic suppliers and substantial planned U.S. investment. 2026 USA Reshoring Survey Report.
Key findings:
- 36% of OEMs had reshored or were actively engaged in additional reshoring in 2026, up from 29% in 2025.
- 32% of CMs were currently quoting reshoring projects — double the 16% reported in 2025 — and 79% said at least some customers had discussed reshoring in the prior year.
- 63% of OEMs planned U.S. capital expenditures in 2026 or 2027 to support reshoring or other domestic expansion.
- 57% of OEMs named policy uncertainty as their primary challenge in the current U.S. trade-policy environment. Market pricing impact was a distant second at 15%.
Geopolitical risk is also becoming a stronger driver. Among CMs, 53% cited geopolitical risk as a reason customers are reshoring to domestic suppliers, up from 24% in 2025. Sixty percent said customers importing from China or Taiwan were at least discussing de-risking, although only 19% reported active transitions.
“Manufacturers can adjust to known costs and opportunities. What is much harder to manage is a moving target. The survey shows that reshoring interest and investment are there, but companies need greater predictability to commit capital and develop supply chains for the long term," said Harry Moser, founder and president, Reshoring Initiative.
Reshoring is delivering operational benefits beyond tariff and geopolitical risk reduction. Among OEMs reporting impacts, 70% cited improved speed to market, 65% better fulfillment or on-time delivery and 60% logistics savings. Use of Total Cost of Ownership to compare domestic and offshore sourcing also rose among OEMs, from 30% in 2025 to 40% in 2026. Yet price remains a major hurdle: 94% of CMs said it is the primary reason they lose orders to imports.
Workforce availability remains a critical constraint. Sixty-six percent of respondents rated hiring technicians — including welders, machinists and electrical or chemical technicians — as very difficult or at crisis levels; 60% said the same for maintenance and repair technicians. Manufacturers are responding through trade and vocational schools (61%), internal upskilling or reskilling (58%) and community colleges (51%).
“Everyone's rightly focused on the skilled trades gap, and we're seeing it just as sharply in leadership. At the end of the day, it always comes back to execution. In the case of reshoring, it's the HR, operations, supply chain and engineering leaders who turn an investment plan into an optimized and highly profitable production facility," said Kathy Nunnally Anemogiannis, Regions Recruiting.
About the survey
The 2026 USA Reshoring Survey was conducted by the Reshoring Initiative in collaboration with Regions Recruiting. The second annual study examined reshoring activity, trade-policy conditions, sourcing economics, workforce availability, AI and automation and other issues affecting U.S. manufacturing. 2026 USA Reshoring Survey Report.
About the Reshoring Initiative
Founded in 2010, the Reshoring Initiative helps companies accurately decide what to source and produce domestically versus offshore. Its mission is to help balance the U.S. goods trade deficit.
About Regions Recruiting
Regions Recruiting specializes in industrial manufacturing and B2B distribution, helping companies close leadership and continuous-improvement talent gaps.
