December marks the end of 2025 with uncertainty over the status of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and a stalemate between Democrats and Republicans (as of this writing) that has shut down the government, overshadowing the PVF sector of the U.S. economy.

The U.S. Supreme Court has not (as of this writing) scheduled a date to consider the legality of the Trump tariffs. Jan Wolfe, a Reuters journalist, stated in the Reuters World News podcast that, under one legal authority or another, Trump’s tariffs are expected to remain in place in the long term.

The world’s largest manufacturing economies struggled to expand in October, business surveys indicated, as weak U.S. demand and tariffs impacted factory orders.

As the federal government shutdown entered its second month, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ project permitting oversight unit was out of funding at the beginning of November.

The vast majority of regulatory staff in all districts have been furloughed, and nearly all regulatory decisions will be paused. Once the funding ended, a supervisor was designated as essential, who could finalize a small number of permits that were close to being issued.

OPEC+ agreed on Nov. 2, 2025, to a small increase in production of 137,000 barrels/day for December and a pause on further increases in the first quarter of 2026 as the group moderates plans to regain market share amid fears of a supply glut.

As of this writing, the current pricing for oil is WTI at $60.93/barrel and Brent at $64.76/barrel.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell reduced the prime rate by a quarter of a point and cast doubts concerning additional rate cuts due to the fog in economic data during the shutdown. This uncertainty adds additional concerns for the PVF sector and the outlook for the construction industry in the short run.

With all that said, the pricing and availability of butt-welding carbon steel fittings and forged steel flanges remain stable; however, they are expected to rise and need to be closely monitored to avoid being caught off guard.

The degree of escalation has yet to be determined, as tariff allocations remain uncertain. Some manufacturers and suppliers have adjusted, while others have taken a “wait-and-see” position.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) remains operational during the shutdown. Ports of entry will be open and staffed. 

Tariff enforcement will continue, and CBP will implement new Section 232 tariffs as scheduled, including the Oct. 14 tariffs on lumber, furniture and heavy trucks.

CBP has seen a rise in transshipments, especially on Chinese-origin goods, to circumvent trade enforcement measures. We encourage all customers to stay vigilant by carefully vetting suppliers, verifying country-of-origin markings and reporting suspicious activity.

Violations can lead to severe consequences, including fines, shipment seizures, business disruption, loss of import privileges and reputational damage.

Construction news

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved a request from energy developer Enbridge to relocate a section of its Line 5 oil pipeline around the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians’ reservations in northern Wisconsin. Enbridge will replace about 20 miles of an existing line, including 12 miles across the reservation, with a new 41-mile, 30-inch diameter segment through Ashland, Bayfield and Iron counties. 

Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) submitted a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission application for the MVP Boost project, aiming to enhance capacity on the 303-mile pipeline system and adding compression stations in West Virginia. Construction is planned for 2026-2027, with operations by mid-2028.

MVP Boost would add compression at three existing compressor stations in West Virginia and a new compressor station in Virginia.

MVP is a joint venture comprised of affiliates of EQT Corp., NextEra Energy, Consolidated Edison, AltaGas and RGC Resources.

Officials at St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) are advancing a major project to modernize the nearly 70-year-old facility. They are negotiating a contract with AEOCOM Hunt-Clayco Joint Venture to serve as construction manager at risk for the proposed $13 billion consolidated terminal project.

The team aims to finalize the terms by the end of this month, allowing AECOM Hunt-Clayco to initiate preconstruction services. The plan is to consolidate the airport’s two terminals into a single facility at the current Terminal 1 site and expand gate capacity from 54 to 62. Airlines servicing STL have already approved $1 billion in design and construction funding. An affirmative vote of the airlines for full modernization is expected early in 2026.

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport started construction on its $1.6 billion Terminal Modernization Development Program. Phase 1, a 6,000-space parking facility, began in early November.

Jacobs has been selected to provide program and construction management for the project, which is planned to feature a new 895,000-square-foot terminal. 

Eos Energy Enterprises, a manufacturer of zinc-based battery energy-storage systems, will relocate its headquarters from Edison, New Jersey, and expand production in Allegheny County with a $352.9 million investment.

The project will create approximately 735 new jobs and retain 265 existing ones, bringing the total to about 1,000.

Eos will lease a 432,000-square-foot industrial facility in the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh to add automated production lines for its aqueous-zinc battery systems.

Mitsubishi Electric Power Products recently broke ground on a $92.7 million manufacturing and testing facility north of Pittsburgh, and Mainspring Energy plans a 300,000-square-foot clean-tech plant supported by $8.6 million in state funding in the same area.

A construction team has been selected for the first phase of a $15 billion data center campus in Port Washington, Wisconsin, which is expected to surpass the size and cost of a $3.3 billion, 315-acre Microsoft Data Center campus under construction in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin. 

OpenAI, Oracle and Denver-based Vantage Data Centers, a provider of hyperscale data center campuses, chose Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., The Weitz Co., a joint venture between Turner Construction and McCarthy Building Cos., and Michels for the $8 billion first phase, dubbed Lighthouse.

PVF Roundtable Networking 

The PVF Roundtable continues to serve as a vital hub for industry networking, education and advocacy. Recent and upcoming events reflect the sector’s commitment to collaboration and innovation.

The next networking meeting of the PVF Roundtable and the extremely popular Cocktail and Commerce Tabletop Show will be held Feb. 10, 2026, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Please bring your clients and associates for the opportunity to meet industry peers up close and personal.

The meeting will be held at Houston’s Bayou City Event Center, 281-501-6720. This venue will provide additional space and convenience for exchanging information and meeting new colleagues.

Networking meetings are now, more than ever, essential for you, your associates and clients to discuss pertinent issues, share information, meet new contacts, develop new long-lasting friendships and pursue new opportunities in the industry.

As a member of the board of directors, and I speak for all members, we thank you for participating in these events and urge PVF industry leaders to join us in our efforts to facilitate our industry through education and information sharing.