Tariffs have been top of mind for many these past 2 weeks due to their swift implementation and just as sudden pause, followed by the addition of new tariffs on steel and aluminum. This is bringing continued uncertainty to fluid power and other manufacturing sectors because of the potential challenges for supply chains and business planning, as discussed in our top story.

As one industry member told me, this comes at a time when it just started to seem like markets and customers were turning the corner on business cycle improvement. 2024 was a difficult year for the fluid power industry and its customer markets, but there was some optimism going into the new year that the lowering of interest rates and improving global economic conditions would bring a turnaround. Whether that comes to fruition given the new uncertainties in the market remains to be seen.

But as other pieces in this month's newsletter show, it’s not all doom and gloom as there will continue to be market sectors which present opportunities and ongoing technological advancements that will further advance the hydraulics and pneumatics industry.

-Sara Jensen, Editor, Power & Motion