2026 USA Reshoring Survey: Momentum Builds Despite Policy and Workforce Challenges
The Reshoring Initiative and Regions Recruiting released the results of the 2026 USA Reshoring Survey in late August 2026. It is the second year of the survey, which makes this the first edition that can show what actually shifted year over year rather than just a snapshot. The sample was 249 manufacturers, split almost evenly between the two sides of the reshoring decision: 118 Original Equipment Manufacturers and 131 Contract Manufacturers.
The headline finding is that reshoring activity is up. More OEMs reported having reshored or being actively engaged in reshoring than a year earlier, and the share of Contract Manufacturers currently quoting reshoring projects roughly doubled, from 16% to 32%. Sixty-three percent of OEM respondents said they expect to make U.S. capital investments to support reshoring or other domestic expansion. Use of Total Cost of Ownership to compare offshore against domestic options rose from 30% to 40% of OEMs, which leaves a majority still deciding on purchase price alone.
The operational finding worth noting: among OEMs reporting an impact, improved speed to market and on-time delivery received the highest actual operational impact ratings of any benefit measured. In the report's own words, “the speed of local production is a great advantage given the AI, automation and same day delivery trends.” Lead time, not labor rate, is where reshoring showed up most clearly on the shop floor.
The report is candid about what is not going well, which is what makes it worth reading in full. Policy uncertainty, not the tariff level itself, was the dominant complaint: 57% of all respondents named it their primary challenge, on the reasoning that a manufacturer can plan around a known cost but not around a moving target. OEM satisfaction with reshoring results fell sharply, with 65% satisfied in 2026 against 96% in 2025. Price remains the single most-cited reason Contract Manufacturers lose orders to imports, at 94%. And the workforce gap, concentrated in technician and maintenance or repair roles, is described as the binding constraint on how much reshoring can actually happen.
Download the full 2026 USA Reshoring Survey Report (PDF, 35 pages) or read the Reshoring Initiative's summary release.