U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly shrinks to smallest since 2020 The US trade deficit unexpectedly narrowed in September to the smallest since mid-2020 as exports surged. The goods and services trade gap shrank nearly 11% from the prior month to $52.8 billion, Commerce Department data showed Thursday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists was for a $63.1 billion deficit. The value of US exports rose 3% to the second-highest level on record, fueled by non-monet

Florida company Suncoast launches a web of charging stations Suncoast Charging Corporation announced the official launch of its EV charging network, beginning with its first electric vehicle DC fast charging station in Land O’Lakes, Florida, the Tampa company said in a Nov. 26 press release. The station officially marks the beginning of Suncoast Charging’s network buildout planned for 2026 and beyond. Serving up to eight vehicles simultaneously and featuring up to 325 kW fas

Rise in accidents, fatalities trigger a call for new safety regulations E-bike fatalities have surged in recent years, with 193 deaths reported in the U.S. from 2017 to 2023, highlighting the growing safety concerns associated with these vehicles. This translates to an average of approximately 27.6 deaths per year. A significant increase in fatalities has been observed, particularly from 2018 to 2022, where 104 fatalities were recorded, with a notable rise in deaths each year

V2G Summit includes call to action for electrification, digital integration The V2G Leaders Europe Summit gathered over two hundred expert representatives from policy, research, industry, grid operations, standardization, and innovation ecosystems on November 20 in Brussels for its first summit on the future of smart and bidirectional charging. The overarching message throughout plenaries, sessions and technical workshops was clear: Europe has the technological maturity, regu

Details on A3's upcoming gathering in Orlando Alongside of EA' s January Robotics and Automation issue, readers can consider augmenting their knowledge of those industries with attending an upcoming forum, either online or in person. The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) announced the A3 Business Forum  2026, one of the automation industry's premier annual networking events for professionals in robotics, vision & imaging, motion control & motors, and artificial intell

Grants delivered for critical minerals in the supply chain Phoenix Tailings announced December 4 that it has been selected to receive $1.6 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The funding is part of the Realize Energy-rich Compound Opportunities Valorizing Extraction from Refuse waters (RECOVER) program, which aims to reduce American dependence on critical mineral imports by establishing new, secure domestic

Midwest utility announces benefit program for low-income customers ComEd has announced the upcoming launch of its Low-Income Discount (LID) program as part of efforts to help customers manage increasing energy costs. The LID program, available Jan. 1, 2026, is intended to provide qualifying income-eligible customers with a percentage-based discount on their monthly electric bill based on income level. LID is created in alignment with the Illinois Climate and Equitable Jobs Ac

Nimitz, Ford class aircraft carriers receive support from Huntington Ingalls The Navy has awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract valued up to $471.9 million to provide engineering support for Nimitz-class and Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers. The award covers engineering, technical and design work along with logistics, configuration and database management and modernization, and ship change document development, the Department of War annou

US Steel announces restart of Granite City blast furnace Driven by customer demand and as part of the Pittsburgh-based company's ordinary course of business planning, U. S. Steel has begun the process to restart the operation of one of two blast furnaces at Granite City Works, the company said in a December 4 press release. “After several months of carefully analyzing customer demand, we made the decision to restart a blast furnace,” said David B. Burritt, President and CEO o

News on the IMTS Smartforce Student Summit The Smartforce Student Summit is officially set to return to IMTS in 2026. This will mark the summit’s 14th edition since its launch in 1998. Coproduced for the second time by AMT (The Association for Manufacturing Technology) and SME, the 2026 summit will once again bring together thousands of students, educators, and industry professionals to explore the technologies, careers, and opportunities driving the future of manufacturing.

Steel and electrical components company makes new appointment Robroy Industries Raceway Division has announced the promotion of Chris Caldwell to National Sales Manager, a culmination of more than two decades of service to the Gilmer, Texas-based company. Caldwell, who joined Robroy 21 years ago, has been instrumental in shaping the Raceway Division’s modern sales organization. Throughout his tenure, he has been dedicated to building and strengthening customer relationships,

New Jersey water company provides one of many examples of food donations New Jersey American Water recently donated $25,000 to ten food banks across the state and held food drives at each of its operating centers, which garnered over 1,000 pounds of food in donations from employees and company partners. The company announced its pledge to donate and kicked off the food drive in late October to provide emergency relief to food banks facing increases in demand due to the feder

Malloy Electric begins process of constructing massive Iowa facility Malloy Electric has broken ground on a massive 200,000 square-foot motor facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, marking the company's latest investment in expanded service capabilities for industrial customers across the region. The new facility, scheduled for completion in mid-2026, will feature a 60-ton crane system and comprehensive motor services up to 20,000 HP, according to a November 11 press release from

CWIEME Berlin unveils "dedicated hub" for electric motor supply chain CWIEME Berlin, one of Europe's leading events for coil winding, transformer, electric motor and e-mobility technologies, has announced the launch of the Electric Motor Forum , a brand-new feature debuting at the 2026 edition of the show. The Electric Motor Forum "will provide a dedicated space for the entire European electric motor industry to come together, from automotive and industrial manufacturers to H

Virginia SCC approves $1.47 billion Dominion Energy plant The Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) has approved Dominion Energy’s highly controversial $1.47 billion natural gas plant, as well as a rate hike for customers meant to help fund said development. On Tuesday, Nov. 25, the SCC — which regulates several businesses and economic interests in Virginia — approved the construction and operation of a natural gas plant that Dominion Energy has dubbed the “Chesterfie

A new group is created to help manage the rapidly-growing industry and its demands Battery association NAATBatt recently announced the formation of its 18th discussion committee: the ESS and Data Center Committee. This committee will focus on the use of battery technology in all aspects of high capacity stationary energy storage, both in front and behind the meter. The market, technology and regulatory issues facing ESS developers will be discussed and studied. The committee

NTSB report determines reasons for Baltimore Key Bridge incident The NTSB said in a November 18 press release that a single loose wire on the 984-foot-long containership Dali caused an electrical blackout that led to the giant vessel veering and contacting the nearby Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which then collapsed, killing six highway workers.  At Tuesday’s public meeting at NTSB headquarters, investigators said the loose wire in the ship’s electrical system caus

Today's BLS workforce report provides latest statistics, including shutdown impact The latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates mixed job growth and revisions to previous employment data, reflecting a complex labor market situation. Total nonfarm payroll employment edged up by 119,000 in September but has shown little change since April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The unemployment rate, at 4.4 percent, changed little in

Metal finishing company joins 4th generation engineered material solutions group The Gund Company, a Saint Louis based provider of engineered material solutions, confirmed the acquisition of Rayco of Schenectady, Inc. , a well-established provider of precision metal finishing services, via a company press release. This strategic acquisition marks a significant milestone in The Gund Company’s continued growth and commitment to delivering comprehensive material and fabrication

Increased focus on certain aspects of transfer pumps and more Transfer pumps critical to processing and tanker fleets are often vulnerable to damage, costly leaks, and labor-intensive maintenance. To cut these costs, Unibloc Hygienic Technologies, a global provider of hygienic positive displacement pumps, has released its new Unibloc CleanPlus line of hygienic pumps for the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and tanker truck industries that require durable, sanitary operations. The ne