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Trade Wars
China Factory Activity Edges Up But Remains In Contraction
China’s factory activity edged higher in November but remained stuck in contraction for the eighth consecutive month, while services weakened as the boost from earlier holidays faded, according to official data released Sunday. The manufacturing purchasing managers’ index rose to 49.2, up 0.2 points from October, the National Bureau of Statistics said. The figures emained below the 50-point mark that separates expansion from contraction. The non-manufacturing business activity index fell to 49.5, down 0.6 points from October, while the composite PMI output index eased to 49.7, indicating a slight pullback in both manufacturing and services activities.
High-tech manufacturing stayed in expansion for a tenth straight month at 50.1, even as equipment manufacturing and consumer goods producers slipped below 50. Energy-intensive industries posted a mild rebound to 48.4, up 1.1 percentage points from October. Business activity for small enterprises recorded a significant rebound. The PMI for small enterprises jumped 2 percentage points to 49.1, its highest in nearly six months, while medium-sized firms edged up to 48.9. Large manufacturers weakened, falling to 49.3. Market confidence showed a slight uptick. The index measuring expectations for production and operations rose to 53.1.
Read more at CNBC
Boeing Gets More Than $7 Billion in Pentagon Awards For Army Apache And USAF KC-46s
The US Department of Defense has awarded Boeing more than $7 billion in contracts to build AH-64E Apache helicopters for the US Army and additional KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling and strategic military transport aircraft for the US Air Force. The US Army’s portion is a $4.6-billion firm-fixed-price contract covering new-build AH-64E Apaches, crew trainers for the rotorcraft’s training variant Longbow, and related parts and support. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, through May 2032, with about $2.2 billion funded through foreign military sales to Poland, Egypt, and Kuwait.
Boeing also received a $2.4-billion contract modification from the US Air Force for the next production lot of KC-46A refueling tankers. The package includes 15 aircraft and associated mobility data system licenses. Work will be performed in Seattle and is scheduled to finish by June 2029, bringing total KC-46 orders worldwide to 183. The KC-46, based on the Boeing 767 airframe, is central to replacing the air force’s aging KC-135 Stratotankers first introduced during the Eisenhower era.
Read more at The Defense Post
Boeing Lands $13 Billion 737 MAX Deal
Boeing announced November 19 that it had agreed with Flydubai to sell a fourth group of 737 MAX airplanes. According to the Business Journals, the price of the order was $13 billion. The order for at least 737 MAX airplanes and 75 other 737 planes is the United Arab Emirates-based airliner’s fourth order from Boeing. The latest Boeing order following the Dubai airshow also followed an order of 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliners from Bahrain-based carrier Gulf Air. In a statement also released November 18, Boeing noted that Middle Eastern airliners are projected to grow dramatically, doubling over the course of the next two decades.
In a statement, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Flydubai, said the new planes would help meet demand for travel. “We are pleased to announce a new aircraft order agreement with Boeing,” he said in a statement. “Looking ahead, proactive fleet planning is essential to ensuring we are well-placed to meet the rising demand for travel, a demand we are confident will continue to grow. Anticipating future needs is a defining factor in the success of any airline and today's announcement reflects our commitment to that principle.” Sheikh bin Saeed Al Maktoum is also the CEO of Emirates airlines, which last week announced it would spend $38 billion on another Boeing order, for 65 Boeing 777X planes.
Read more at American Machinist
Humanoid Robots Complete Trial Project at BMW Assembly Plant
Two humanoid robots have completed an 11-month pilot project at BMW’s assembly plant here. During that time, the Figure 02 robots from Figure AI ran 10-hour shifts Monday through Friday, accumulating 1,250 hours of run-time. The robots loaded more than 90,000 parts and contributed to the production of more than 30,000 BMW X3 vehicles. While deployed at BMW, the robots performed a classic pick-and-place task by loading sheet metal parts into a welding machine. The robot picked sheet metal parts from racks or bins and placed them on a welding fixture. A traditional six-axis industrial robot then welded and fed the parts into the main line.
The robots had three goals to meet: cycle time, placement accuracy, and interventions. To meet the cycle time goal, the robot was required to load the sheet metal parts within 37 seconds and complete the entire task in 84 seconds. In addition, the robots were expected to have a 99 percent success rate per shift in loading the sheet metal accurately. Figure AI also tracked the number of times a human must pause or reset the robot, with the goal being zero per shift. Figure AI did not share data on how well the humanoids performed in meeting those goals. However, the company did say the pilot project taught it how to improve the robot for its Figure 03 design.
Read more at Assembly Magazine
Deere’s Challenging 2025 Ends On A High Note
Deere & Co. ended its fiscal year 2025 on a high note, reporting higher tractor and construction equipment sales in recent months amid tariffs and a slow farm economy. The Moline, Illinois-based manufacturer reported worldwide net sales and revenue of $12.3 billion in the fourth quarter, up 11% over last year. This was driven by segment sales increases of 10% in production and precision agriculture and 27% in construction and forestry.
Despite the recent sales surge, higher production costs and tariffs affected profitability. The company posted Q4 net income of nearly $1.1 billion, down 14% over last year. It also reported earnings declines for the full year and offered a muted fiscal year 2026 outlook. For fiscal year 2025, Deere reported worldwide net sales and revenue of $45.7 billion, a 12% decline over the previous year as challenges from tariffs and a slow farm economy weighed on demand. Net income totaled $5 billion, down 29% from a year ago.
Read more at Manufacturing Diveeuters
Global Airlines Race To Fix Airbus A320- Software Glitch; US Reports Little Disruption
Airlines around the world have spent the last 48 hours racing to patch a critical software vulnerability on thousands of Airbus A320‑family jets after regulators warned that intense solar radiation could corrupt flight‑control data. As of Sunday, November 30, most of the roughly 6,000 affected aircraft are back in service, and fears of a full‑blown holiday travel meltdown have largely eased. The emergency recall was triggered by an October 30 incident in which a JetBlue A320 flying from Cancún to Newark suddenly pitched down without pilot command, injuring passengers and forcing an emergency diversion to Tampa.
Early analysis suggested the aircraft’s elevator aileron computer (ELAC) – the system that translates pilots’ side‑stick inputs into movements of the elevators and ailerons, controlling the jet’s pitch and roll – had briefly acted on corrupted data. Airbus later told airlines and regulators that a recent ELAC software update, originally designed to bolster protections against loss‑of‑control events, may have inadvertently opened a tiny but serious window where “intense” solar radiationcan flip bits in the computer’s memory at just the wrong moment. According to Airbus and regulators about 6,000 aircraft worldwide needed checks and updates, roughly half the active A320 fleet. The affected aircraft are spread across Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Oceania, operated by hundreds of airlines from budget carriers to flagships.
Read more at Techstock
European Carmakers Hope For Reprieve On 2035 Combustion Engine Ban
On December 10th Brussels is set to unveil measures designed to support the regional auto industry, one of the EU's most important sectors, in the face of high energy costs, tariffs on exports to the U.S., and Asian rivals eating into the bloc's market. German automakers and the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association have called for a weakening of rules designed to boost battery or fuel-cell electric drive cars, while Fiat-to-Maserati owner Stellantis warned the industry risks an "irreversible decline" without help. The regulation that all new vehicles from 2035 should have zero emissions was adopted in March 2023 when the outlook for battery electric vehicles was brighter.
The continent's automakers from Volkswagen to Renault RENA.PA had high hopes for the electric vehicle shift when they set ambitious targets at the beginning of the decade, efforts that have since collided with the reality of lower-than-expected demand and fierce competition from China. The industry is now pushing for concessions. It hopes the European Commission will accept that CO2-neutral fuels, such as biofuels, could continue to power internal combustion engines, as well as plug-in hybrids or range extenders. Automakers have argued that immovable targets no longer make sense, and that the market, rather than legislators, should decide when combustion engines are fully phased out. They favour instead incentives to boost demand for electric vehicles.
Read more at Reuters
AST SpaceMobile Increases US Manufacturing Capacity With New Sites For Next Generation Satellite Production
AST SpaceMobile announced new manufacturing locations in Texas and Florida, strengthening its production network for BlueBird satellites. Texas hosts five AST SpaceMobile facilities, including a newly launched Midland site that assembles BlueBird satellites from raw materials through final integration. A new Homestead facility in Florida expands manufacturing operations and extends the company's national reach. AST SpaceMobile reports 95 percent of production processes are vertically integrated and maintained under U S control. Ongoing investments in American infrastructure and manufacturing capacity support rapid scaling and growth in space-based cellular broadband delivery.
The BlueBird satellites employ large phased-array antennas of 2,400 square feet, custom power systems, and the proprietary AST5000 ASIC, supporting bandwidth up to 10 times that of previous BlueBird satellites and enabling peak data speeds of 120 Mbps for voice, data, and video applications. This level of production requires vertical integration, specialized equipment, secure U S based assembly lines, and engineering expertise.
Read more at Space Daily
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