Textile mills recorded growth in new orders and production in October, according to the Institute for Supply Management’s latest Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI). The sector was one of 12 manufacturing industries reporting expansion during the month.

The overall US Manufacturing PMI rose to 55.5 percent, up from 54.5 percent in September. A reading above 47.5 percent indicates expansion. ISM said manufacturing activity remained in expansion for a 24th consecutive month.

New orders increased for a 10th consecutive month, reaching 55.5 percent. The Production Index climbed to 59 percent, its highest reading since November 2021. Textile mills led 11 other industries in reported new-order growth and ranked fourth among 11 sectors reporting production growth.

The textile sector was also one of only two industries, alongside paper products, to report faster supplier deliveries in October. At the same time, mills reported higher inventories and were the leading industry among 11 sectors reporting order backlogs. Textile mills were also among 16 industries that said they had raised prices.

Across manufacturing, four of the PMI’s five subindexes—new orders, production, supplier deliveries and inventories—grew faster than in September. Employment growth slowed by 0.3 percentage point. The Prices Index stood at 75.2 percent, down 2.7 percentage points from the previous month, while the order backlog reading fell 1.8 points to 54.6 percent.

Despite the expansion, sentiment weakened for a third consecutive month. Of comments received, 34 percent were positive and 66 percent negative. Respondents citing a pessimistic outlook pointed to pricing volatility, longer lead times, tariffs and the war in Iran, often naming more than one concern.

ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee chair Susan Spence said the continued improvement in orders and production was encouraging, while the slowdown in employment growth, lower backlogs and ongoing price volatility were contributing to more negative sentiment.

The ISM release did not include comments from textile mills. However, it noted broader concerns among US manufacturers, including uncertainty and tariffs. Those pressures are a particular concern for textile and sewn-product producers because their supply chain spans the United States and Canada, according to the report.

Sources: WWD.