ITR’s Q1 2026 U.S. Customer Markets Forecast Report is now available. This report forecasts over 30 different popular fluid power markets. Identify which phase of the business cycle a market is in and where it is headed in the future. Forecasts for fluid power, pneumatics, and hydraulics have been updated. Highlights include:
• NFPA Total Shipments index is currently in phase A, recovery. 2026 annual growth rate forecast for NFPA Total Shipments is expected to be 8.2%. However, ITR Economics notes that 2026, while expected to be a year of growth for NFPA markets, is not expected to be a groundbreaking year.
• Construction Machinery Production has entered phase A, recovery, with a current growth rate of -4.4%. ITR Economics expects Construction Machinery Production to enter a phase of accelerating growth throughout 2026, according to page 10 of the report.
• ITR Economics notes several economic opportunities and risks for NFPA members in the Forecast Summary. For example, ITR Economics writes, “Margin compression is a real risk as inflation picks up in 2026, tariff impacts trickle through supply chains, and price sensitivity continues. It is vital to be working toward improved efficiency,” on page 9 of the latest report.
Preview the latest forecast data from ITR Economics on the Stats Dashboard, as seen in the image below!
If you have any questions about interpreting or using the data in this report, please contact Cecilia Bart at cbart@nfpa.com.