How big is primary metals manufacturing in the U.S.?

Primary Metals manufacturing produced $77.8B of value added in 2025, or 2.7% of all U.S. manufacturing output and 0.3% of total GDP, per BEA GDP-by-industry data. It ranks 13 of 19 manufacturing subsectors by size.

Is primary metals manufacturing growing or shrinking?

In the latest annual data (2025), primary metals value added is down 1.0% year over year in dollar terms. The full quarterly series since 2005 is charted above and updates with each BEA release.

Which states produce the most primary metals?

Indiana leads with $9.3B of primary metals GDP in 2025, followed by Alabama ($7.1B) and Ohio ($6.6B), per BEA state GDP data.

Is primary metals a durable or nondurable goods industry?

BEA classes primary metals manufacturing as durable goods. Durable goods (metals, machinery, electronics, vehicles) are products with a service life of three years or more.

Manufacturing Economy Monitor

Primary Metals Manufacturing

Primary Metals manufacturing produced $77.8B of value added in 2025. That is 2.7% of all U.S. manufacturing output and 0.3% of GDP, making it the 13th-largest of the 19 manufacturing subsectors the Bureau of Economic Analysis tracks. Output shrank 1.0% year over year. It is classed as durable goods manufacturing; the largest producing state is Indiana ($9.3B in 2025).

Output and growth

Value added: $77.8B in 2025, 2.7% of all U.S. manufacturing and 0.3% of GDP.
Year-over-year change: -1% in dollar terms.
Classification: durable goods manufacturing (BEA subsector 331).

Top producing states

Indiana: $9.3B (2025)
Alabama: $7.1B (2025)
Ohio: $6.6B (2025)

Frequently asked questions

How big is primary metals manufacturing in the U.S.? Primary Metals manufacturing produced $77.8B of value added in 2025, or 2.7% of all U.S. manufacturing output and 0.3% of total GDP, per BEA GDP-by-industry data. It ranks 13 of 19 manufacturing subsectors by size.
Is primary metals manufacturing growing or shrinking? In the latest annual data (2025), primary metals value added is down 1.0% year over year in dollar terms. The full quarterly series since 2005 is charted above and updates with each BEA release.
Which states produce the most primary metals? Indiana leads with $9.3B of primary metals GDP in 2025, followed by Alabama ($7.1B) and Ohio ($6.6B), per BEA state GDP data.
Is primary metals a durable or nondurable goods industry? BEA classes primary metals manufacturing as durable goods. Durable goods (metals, machinery, electronics, vehicles) are products with a service life of three years or more.

About this data

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (public domain). National quarterly values are seasonally adjusted annual rates. Corporate-profit industry detail reflects inventory valuation adjustment without capital consumption adjustment, per NIPA table 6.16D conventions.

Last reviewed 2026-10-01.