Manufacturing is the use of labor, goods and machines to produce goods for use or for sale. Manufacturing sector covers work performed in electronics industry, mechanical industry, energy industries, food and beverage industries, plastic industry, metalworking industries, transport and telecommunications industries, chemical or physical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. The process of assembling of components or parts of manufactured products also falls into the bracket of manufacturing unless the activity is appropriately put into construction. Construction on the other hand primarily covers works encompassing construction of buildings or assembling of infrastructure (for e.g. highways and utility systems). All those companies performing work in the preparation of sites for new construction and those involved in subdividing land for sale as building sites also are included in construction.

Manufacturing uses raw materials that are products of agriculture, bakery, fishing, forestry, mining and other products of manufacturing operations. Plants, factories or mills that use power-driven machines and materials-handling equipment, transform the raw materials into new finished products and components requiring further manufacturing.

On the other hand construction market includes new work, maintenance or repairs. Production responsibilities are specified contractually with constructions owners (prime contractors) or contracts with subcontractors.  

Manufacturing industries are the chief wealth generating sectors of any economy. These industries adopt various technologies and methods widely known as manufacturing process management. Manufacturing industries are important for an economy as they employ a huge share of the labor force and produce materials required by sectors of strategic importance such as national infrastructure and defense. Some of the industries we cover under manufacturing are aerospace, agriculture, defence, environmental services like air purification, glass, lighting, paper and forest products, machinery, metals (like aluminum, copper, exotic metals, iron and steel, non-ferrous metals and precious metals), mining, minerals, packaging and textiles.

The world manufacturing industries in a capitalist economy indulge in mass production and make them available as earning profits. Manufacturing in collectivist economy is guided by a state run agency for making available the manufactured goods depending on the requirement. Manufacturing industry in a modern economy operates under regulations framed by the Government.

Industry & Manufacturing Current Trends

The manufacturing industry accounts for a significant share of the industrial sector in developed countries. The final products can either serves as a finished good for sale to customers or as intermediate goods used in the production process.

Manufacturing industries are essential for an economy as they employ a huge share of the labor force and produce materials required by sectors of strategic importance such as national infrastructure and defense. However, not all manufacturing industries are beneficial to the nation as some of them generate negative externalities with huge social costs. The cost of letting such industries flourish may even exceed the benefits generated by them.

According to some economists, manufacturing industry is a wealth-producing sector of an economy, whereas a service sector tends to be wealth-consuming

With the current euro zone deepening, U.S. factory output grows, bucking global trend, UK factories sluggish, political glitches from China the manufacturing outcome on account of dependency of the above countries has ever since seen to be declining.

Against the trend, manufacturing activity in the U.K. and the U.S. picked up speed, but slumps in factory output in Europe and Asia raised questions about the sustainability of the rebound, given a forward looking measure of demand in the U.S. data still pointed to contraction. Global GDP is expected to grow 3.2 percent in 2011 before edging up to 3.6 percent in 2012.

Although solid growth led by developing-countries is the most likely outcome going forward, high food prices, possible additional oil-price spikes, and lingering post-crisis difficulties in high-income countries pose downside risks.

An escalating debt crisis in the Eurozone, combined with stagnating U.S. economic growth, now constitutes a clear and present danger to the world economic rebound. Slow U.S. domestic demand and weak global growth are expected to take their toll on U.S. export and import demand. Annual U.S. export growth is predicted to slow from 11.3 percent during 2010 to 8.1 percent during 2011 and then further to 7.7 percent in 2012. The slowdown in U.S. import growth is anticipated to be even more pronounced, dropping from 12.5 percent in 2010 to 5.1 percent in 2011 and to 3.1 percent in 2012.

Major Industry & Manufacturing Players

Surveys and analyses of trends and issues in manufacturing and investment around the world focus on such things as the nature and sources of the considerable variations that occur cross-nationally in levels of manufacturing and wider industrial-economic growth; competitiveness and attractiveness to foreign investors.

The manufacturing sector is closely connected with engineering and industrial design. Examples of major manufacturers in North America include General Motors Corporation, General Electric, and Pfizer. Examples in Europe include Volkswagen Group, Siemens, and Michelin. Examples in Asia include Toyota, Samsung, and Bridgestone.

The largest corporate chemical manufacturers worldwide, each with plants in numerous countries, include BASF, Bayer, Braskem, Celanese/Ticona, Degussa, Dow, DuPont, Eastman Chemical Company, ExxonMobil, INEOS, Mitsubishi, PPG Industries, SABIC and Shell, along with thousands of smaller firms.