AM Staff

The American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association and The Association For Manufacturing Technology report that U.S. consumption for machine tool systems, components, and supplies totaled $130.96 million in January 2010, a decline of 40.3% from the December 2009 total. However, the total also represents a 26.2% increase over the January 2009 ($103.77 million) consumption total.

“Many customers placed orders in December to take advantage of tax-relief measures, pulling orders out of January 2010,” Peter Borden, AMTDA president, explained. “The good news is that January 2010 orders are still 26% ahead of January 2009. Fortunately, there are measures moving through Congress that will expand these benefits, incentivizing manufacturers to invest in capital equipment in 2010.”

The information is contained the monthly U.S. Manufacturing Technology Consumption report, compiled by AMTDA and AMT. The report is based on actual purchasing data reported by companies participating in the USMTC program.

The USMTC report also contains regional consumption data. In January, manufacturing technology consumption in the Northeast Region totaled $25.88 million, down 40.5% versus the $43.49 million total for December but up 31.4% over January 2009.

In the Southern Region, January manufacturing technology consumption fell 3.6% to a total of $28.51 mil-lion, compared to December’s $29.57 million. However, that regional total was 95.8% higher than the January 2009.

Midwestern Regional consumption for manufacturing technology amounted to $37.41 million, 39.9% less than December’s $62.22 million but up 31.2% compared to January 2009.

In the Central Region, manufacturing technology consumption totaled $27.10 million. This total was a decline of 50.6% from the December 2009 total ($54.81 million), but up 6.0% compared with January 2009 totals.

The Western Region reported January consumption of $12.06 million, down 58.7% from December 2009, and down 21.8% compared with January 2009.