A3 Reports North American Robot Orders Jump 25% in Third Quarter
aiinsider ·
North American companies ordered 10,989 robots valued at $723.5 million in the third quarter of 2026, marking a 24.8% increase in units and a 26.1% rise in value compared to the previous year. This performance represents the strongest quarter for the industry so far in 2026, driven by broad-based demand across multiple manufacturing sectors. Automotive component suppliers saw the largest surge with a 90.4% increase, while semiconductors, electronics, and photonics orders jumped nearly 98%. Collaborative robot orders also grew significantly by approximately 56%, accounting for 16.7% of all units ordered during the period. Despite these gains, automotive original equipment manufacturer orders remained 17% below their year-earlier levels through the first nine months. The Association for Advancing Automation attributed the growth to increased U.S. manufacturing activity and investments in domestic chip and pharmaceutical production. However, potential headwinds such as higher input costs and trade uncertainty may impact demand in the fourth quarter.
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