NEWS Manufacturing growth hits one-year high in February


The AIB Ireland Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index rose to 51.9 in February from 51.3 in January, marking the second consecutive month above the 50 line indicating expansion. The country’s manufacturing sector


saw its fastest growth in a year in February, driven by a surge in new orders and increased production volumes, a survey by AIB and S&P Global showed today. The AIB Ireland Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 51.9 in February from 51.3 in January, marking the second consecutive month above the 50 line indicating expansion.


It was the highest reading in 12 months, signalling a moderate


improvement in business conditions. February saw the strongest rise in new orders since May 2022, with  improvement, although export sales 


“Output rose robustly in February, amid a general improvement in demand conditions,” said David McNamara, AIB’s chief economist. However, he noted “continued softness in external demand”, particularly from Europe. Employment in the sector increased for the third month in a row, although the rate of job creation slowed compared to January. Backlogs of work accumulated at the fastest  longer wait times for raw materials.


 hit its highest level in two years, driven by rising raw material prices and increased salary payments. This


led to a sharp rise in output prices, the fastest since September 2024, as manufacturers sought to protect margins despite competitive pressures.


Ireland could lose pharma tax to US after Trump accusations


US pharmaceutical companies based in Ireland  than close manufacturing plants after Donald Trump accused Ireland of stealing American tax and jobs, experts say. Aidan Regan, a professor of political economy at University College Dublin, said the US president was right to call out the trade imbalance created by US pharmaceutical companies in Ireland, arguing the warning signs have been there for years. “Trump is right. And it was refreshingly honest what he said. I imagine the Irish government would feel the same way if it was Irish companies


Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, repeatedly took aim at Ireland’s success in luring big pharma. “Ireland was very smart. They took our


pharmaceutical companies away from presidents that didn’t know what they were doing and its too bad that happened,” President Trump said. About €50 billion of medicines are exported


worldwide from Ireland every year, according  touch Irish soil”.


“Without these accounting-based exports,


all over the globe making all their sales in Ireland  President Trump, at a meeting with the Irish


Ireland’s trade surplus would be much smaller. The companies may not disappear but their taxable 


FANUC extends partnership with J L Goor Machinery


For over 20 years, the partnership between J L Goor Machinery and automation expert FANUC has been one of the outstanding success stories in the Irish polymer sector. Mullingar-based J L Goor Machinery is the Irish


partner for FANUC’s ROBOSHOT range of all- electric injection moulding machines, with over 700 units installed in Irish industry. Now, the relationship is being extended to include FANUC’s ROBODRILL CNC compact machining centres, serving key industry segments including medical devices, aerospace, automotive components, fabrication and precision engineering.


“Since the establishment of FANUC Ireland in 4 March/April 2025 Irish Manufacturing


2022, we have been committed to supporting our Irish customers with on the ground sales, service and technical support, and J L Goor have been an important partner in this customer offering,” said Conor O’Kelly, FANUC Ireland’s  “Ireland is a key territory for FANUC globally and our J L Goor partnership has enabled us to support customers with a moulding footprint in Ireland, Europe and the US.” Phil Watters, managing director of J L Goor,


said: “We are delighted to extend this service to another key industry in Ireland – precision engineering – using the ROBODRILL product range.”


www.irish-manufacturing.com


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