Manufacturing Technology Consumption Continues Strong

U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $321.35 million in December, according to the Association for Manufacturing Technology and the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association. This total, as reported by companies participating in the U.S. Machine Tool Consumption (USMTC) program, was down 6.9 percent from November and down 0.5 percent from the total of $322.81 million reported for December 2005. Year-end 2006 total was $3,889.75 million, up 26.8 percent from 2005.

Regionally, December’s machine tool consumption was strongest in the Southern Region, an increase to $50.08 million, 50.6 percent higher than November’s 33.25 million and up 13.4 percent compared with the year earlier period. However, the year-end consumption total was only 1.9 percent higher than that of 2005. The Western Region was also strong, with December’s consumption rising to $63.45 million, 48.1 percent higher than November’s $42.85 million and 40.4 percent higher than December 2005. The $596.98 million total for 2006 was 42.5 percent higher than the 2005 total.

The Northeast Region saw an increase of 1.7 percent for December, to $57.61 million, but the year-end consumption total was 37.2 percent higher than 2005. The Midwestern Region saw December’s machine tool consumption drop 40.3 percent less than November’s $114.76 million and 38.1 percent less than December 2005, but was up 13.7 percent over 2005's total. The Central Region saw a drop in consumption, down 16.3 percent in December compared with November’s 97.61 million, but 9.1 percent higher than December 2005's total. Year’s end consumption totaled $1.003.48, 49.3 percent higher than 2005's figure.