Assn. for Manufacturing Technology
New orders totaled $357.8 million in June, -7.7% versus May, -15.2% versus June 2018. The year-to-date total is $2.25 billion, -12.8% from January-June 2018.
New orders totaled $357.8 million in June, -7.7% versus May, -15.2% versus June 2018. The year-to-date total is $2.25 billion, -12.8% from January-June 2018.
New orders totaled $357.8 million in June, -7.7% versus May, -15.2% versus June 2018. The year-to-date total is $2.25 billion, -12.8% from January-June 2018.
New orders totaled $357.8 million in June, -7.7% versus May, -15.2% versus June 2018. The year-to-date total is $2.25 billion, -12.8% from January-June 2018.
New orders totaled $357.8 million in June, -7.7% versus May, -15.2% versus June 2018. The year-to-date total is $2.25 billion, -12.8% from January-June 2018.

U.S. Machine Tool Orders in Decline at Midyear

Aug. 12, 2019
Job shops, medical equipment and home appliance markets were bright spots amid falling demand from major industrial sectors

U.S. machine shops’ and other manufacturers’ capital equipment orders fell -7.7% from May to June, totaling $357.8 million. The result is -15.2% lower than the comparable June 2018 result, and brings the year-to-date total for U.S. manufacturing technology orders to $2.25 billion, down -12.8% from the January-June 2018 total.

The figures are provided by AMT – the Assn. for Manufacturing Technology in its monthly U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report. The USMTO tracks new orders for metal cutting and metal forming and fabricating equipment as a leading indicator of industrial activity. The report is based on data supplied by participating producers and distributors of that equipment, and offers a leading indicator of industrial demand as machine shops and other manufacturers invest to complete planned or anticipated production programs.

“The manufacturing technology market is under pressure from ongoing trade issues and a global manufacturing slowdown, which is driving competitiveness in the North American market,” stated AMT president Doug Woods. “Our members are adjusting their business models to address these challenges and analysts’ predicted fall in order levels in 2019.”

AMT cited several industrial and consumer indices to describe the context for the revising the outlook for future manufacturing demand. Within the USMTO totals, the Association reported that orders for agricultural implement manufacturing were "dramatically slashed" during June, government and defense manufacturing orders were at less than one-tenth of their May total, automotive sector orders fell by more than one-third from May, and aerospace orders declined by just over one tenth.

On the positive side of the ledger, medical equipment manufacturing and household appliance manufacturing orders rose nearly 40%. Job shop orders increased by "modest single-digits," AMT stated.

Regionally, Northeastern manufacturers ordered $74.67 million worth of new metal-cutting equipment during June, 29.5% higher than in May but just 0.2% higher than in June 2018. For the year-to-date, the Northeast region has recorded $408.58 worth of new orders, -5.4% less than during the January-June period of 2018.

In the Southeast region, new orders for metal-cutting equipment during June totaled $38.47 million, -5.2% less than during May and -39.0% less than during June 2018. The regional YTD total for metal-cutting equipment was $269.6 million, -5.9% less than the during the comparable period of 2018.

The North Central-East region reported total manufacturing technology orders of $83.84 million, -8.9% from May and -8.3% from June 2018. The six-month total for manufacturing technology orders in the region was $505.38 million, down -15.4% from 2018’s comparable result.

The North Central-West region’s total manufacturing technology orders for June were $51.41 million, a -25.4% decline from May and a -37.8% drop from June 2018. For the YTD, this region’s metal-cutting equipment new orders came to $392.27 million, a decline of -18.2% versus 2018.

In the South Central region, new orders for metal-cutting equipment increased to $37.32 million, up 9.3% from May and up 0.6% from June 2018. For the year-to-date, the region’s metal-cutting equipment orders totaled $202.02 million, a decline of -22.7% from the January-June 2018 total.

Finally, the West region reported new orders for metal-cutting equipment worth $68.77 million, down -3.1% from May but up 5.3% from June 2018. The region’s six-month total for metal-cutting equipment orders is $404.34 million, a drop of -8.2% versus the comparable 2018 figure.

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