Domestic consumption of machine tools and related technology totaled $222.36 million during April, a 15.6% drop from March but up 102.7% from the total of $109.69 million recorded in April 2009. The figures are contained in the U.S. Machine Tool Consumption Report, compiled by The Association For Manufacturing Technology and the American Ma-chine Tool Distributors’ Association and based on actual data supplied by their participating member companies.
With a year-to-date total of $783.03 million, U.S. machine toll consumption during 2010 is up 50.6% versus the first four months of 2009.
“Cautious spending on manufacturing technology in January and February pushed higher levels of investment into the later part of the first quarter, propping up March results,” stated AMT president Douglas K. Woods. “While April dipped slightly as compared to March, the level of activity was more than 100 percent better than a year ago. We expect this investment level to be more typical as the year progresses, reflecting manufacturers’ continued cau-tious optimism.” The USMTC report also tracks consumption trends in five regional markets. In the Northeast, April manufacturing technology consumption totaled $33.90 million, 6.3% less than in March ($36.18 million) but 39.8% above the April 2009 total. Through the first four months of 2010, Northeast Regional consumption totals $122.90 million, 19.7% above the same period in 2009.
In the Southern Region, April manufacturing technology consumption totaled $28.68 million, down 36.0% from March ($44.80 million) but up 109.1% versus April 2009. For the January-April period, the total Southern Regional consumptions amounts to $122.05 million, 76.7% more than during the first four months of 2009.
Midwest Regional consumption totaled $57.97 million during April, down 26.7% from March’s $79.08 million but up 82.2% compared to April 2009. The Midwest’s year-to-date total of $217.40 million is 41.7% above the January-April 2009 total.
In the Central Region, manufacturing technology consumption totaled $73.20 million during April, an 8.2% rise over the March figure ($67.65 million) and 185.6% above the April 2009 total. Year-to-date Central Regional consumption totaled $221.36 million, 73.2% higher than the comparable figure a year ago.
Western Regional manufacturing technology consumption amounted to $28.62 million in April, a 19.9% decline from the March total ($35.74 million) though up 100.4% compared to April 2009. Year-to-date consumption in the re-gion totaled $99.32 million from January through April, up 48.2% versus the January-April 2009 period.
