Fluid Power Shipments See Minimal Dip in May 2025
Fluid power order and shipment data from the National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) shows that in May 2025 total fluid power shipments decreased just 0.7% from the previous month. This is an improvement from the April data which showed a 4.8% decline in total fluid power shipments compared to March 2025.
However, on a year-over-year basis, total shipments remain in negative territory; shipments in May 2025 were -7.2% below those in May 2024.
Pneumatics a Potential Bright Spot for the Fluid Power Sector
According to NFPA, the 12/12 rate of change for total pneumatic shipments has been increasing. Although still below zero, the association said this rise in the rate of change suggests this segment may be entering a recovery phase.
The year started with pneumatic shipments' 12/12 rate of change at -8.5% and the below chart shows it is now sitting at -7.3%, demonstrating the potential recovery taking place.
The industrial machinery sector, which more commonly utilizes pneumatics, started 2025 on a more positive note according to a recent report from Interact Analysis and thus may be contributing to the potential recovery for pneumatic shipments.
Per The Association for Manufacturing Technology's (AMT) U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report, machinery orders have remained positive in 2025 to date. AMT reports that despite the declines which have been seen in overall manufacturing output, production increased for machinery manufacturers 0.3% in April.
As the next graph shows, the 12/12 rate of change for shipments of pneumatics and industrial hydraulics is faring better than those for mobile hydraulics, further signifying the more positive conditions the industrial sector is currently experiencing.
Mobile hydraulics have been experiencing more difficult market conditions over the past year, demonstrated by the 12/12 rate of change graph below for fluid power orders. High interest rates and inventory levels were among the challenges faced by this segment of the fluid power industry in 2024.
While there has been some repreive from these, the continued uncertainty about tariffs has brought new challenges for mobile equipment manfucturers as well as their suppliers and customers.
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers' (AEM) May 2025 Ag Tractor and Combine reports offer a look at what is happening in the mobile equipment market. Per the latest report, Canadian sales for combines and tractors were up once again in May, but U.S. sales for these machines continued to decline.
Curt Blades, Senior Vice President of AEM, said this ongoing sales slump is a sign of broader challlenges in the agricultural economy. "High interest rates, global trade uncertainty and increased input prices are causing farmers to delay major equipment purchases. At the same time, we’re encouraged by the strong performance in the Canadian market and remain hopeful that overall conditions will improve as the planting season progresses."
The charts in this article are supplied by NFPA and drawn from data collected from more than 70 manufacturers of fluid power products by NFPA’s Confidential Shipment Statistics (CSS) program.
