Global Fastener News

Industry panelists at the Pacific-West Fastener Association spring 2026 conference predicted fastener price increases.

Roberto, Xu and Tiffany

Fastener prices are rising due to metal market resurgence, increased logistics costs, and energy and labor price hikes, according to Tim Roberto, division president of LindFast Solutions Group company Star Stainless Screw. He noted that extraction and smelting are reliant on energy and labor costs.

For example, nickel cost $6.97 a pound at the end of January 2025, but 13 months later had jumped 15% to $8.06. Copper climbed 12.5% to $4.15 during the same period.

President Trump’s IEEPA tariffs were “muted in the fastener world,” Roberto stated.

He advised fastener executives to develop market planning strategies with key stakeholders, customize production and services to meet market demand and put “emphasis on strong partnerships and communication.”

Brighton-Best International president Jun Xu said transportation cost increases are driving up fastener costs. Ocean shipping is 20%- 30% higher than pre-Covid, he noted.

The U.S. dollar has weakened 6%-8% in the past 12 months against major currencies. The U.S. debt tops $38 trillion. In the next 10 to 15 years the U.S. debt will double, increasing consumer costs such as mortgages and all other borrowing, Xu projected.

“If we keep spending more than we make, this could lead to an inflationary cycle we can’t stop,” Xu said.

The “just-in-time” strategy of just a few years ago is being succeeded by “just-in-case,” Xu found.

AI is “super intelligence in your hands,” offering the fastener industry advantages such as speed and transparency of quoting. But AI also means fewer people will be needed in a knowledge-based economy, Xu said.

“Finding opportunities will become more challenging when everyone has the same intelligence in their hands,” Xu said. “The amplitude and speed of everything will increase. If everyone searches the same questions on the same models, they’ll get the same answers.”

But while machine intelligence has no limits (capacity, time, sickness or biases), AI can not change the fundamental laws of physics: energy, mass, motion, gravity, space and time, Xu said.

“The ability to manage inventory and a supply chain remains a valuable skillset,” Xu said.

Copper State Bolt & Nut manufacturing VP Paul Tiffany said construction, infrastructure spending and domestic manufacturing are the primary demand drivers for U.S. fasteners. Tiffany predicted “relatively stable demand” through 2027 – especially for structural, automotive, heavy equipment, and machinery fasteners.

“Tariffs remain the dominant uncertainty and will shape 2026-2027 competitiveness,” he predicted.

Tiffany forecasted “steady, but not explosive” market growth, with long-term expansion tied to high-spec segments.

The U.S. industrial fasteners market is projected to grow from $26.5 billion in 2025 to $40.7 billion by 2034, driven by demand in aerospace, automotive, industrial machinery and energy infrastructure, he noted.

Automation, plant upgrades and added value propositions will be the differentiator, Tiffany said.

For example the transition to electric vehicles requires lightweight, high-strength, corrosion-resistant fasteners, creating new opportunities for innovation and product differentiation.

Fastener manufacturers need to focus on automation, digital traceability, nearshoring, advanced materials and additive manufacturing.