April Machine Tool Consumption Down 27.6% from March

April U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $396.47 million, according to the Association for Manufacturing Technology and the American Machine Tool Distributors'Association. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTC program, was down 27.6% from March, but up 29.2% from the total of $306.86 million reported for April 2007. With a year-to-date total of $1,587.27 million, 2008 is up 19.9% compared with 2007.

These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the USMTC program.

The demand for manufacturing equipment continues to be healthy, with year-to-year growth of nearly 30% since April 2007,"said John B. Byrd III, AMT president. "Export demand for U.S. manufactured products and the global boom in infrastructure development continues to fuel the surprising growth in capital equipment investment. The decline from March to April is not surprising, considering the extraordinary results posted in March."

The U.S. Manufacturing Technology Consumption (USMTC) report, jointly compiled by the two trade associations representing the production and distribution of manufacturing technology, provides regional and national U.S. consumption data of domestic and imported machine tools and related equipment. Analysis of manufacturing technology consumption provides a reliable leading economic indicator as manufacturing industries invest in capital metalworking equipment to increase capacity and improve productivity.

U.S. manufacturing technology consumption is also reported on a regional basis for five geographic breakdowns of the U.S.

Northeast Region
April manufacturing technology consumption in the Northeast Region stood at $46.47 million, down 35.2% when compared with March's $71.70 million, and 10.1% less than the April total a year ago. The $221.71 million year-to-date total is 4.3% higher than the 2007 total at the same time.

Southern Region
At $49.37 million, April manufacturing technology consumption in the Southern Region was 59.8% less than the March total of $122.72 million but 26.8% higher than the April 2007 tally. Compared with 2007 at the same time, the year-to-date total of $271.61 million is up 69.6%.

Midwestern Region
Midwestern Region manufacturing technology consumption rose to $154.14 million in April, down 10.4% when compared with March's $172.02 million, but 81.5% higher than the total for April a year ago. The 2008 year-to-date total of $534.69 million is 46.0% above the comparable figure a year ago.

Central Region
With an April total of $79.88 million, Central Region manufacturing technology consumption was down 31.7% from the March total of $116.92 million and 6.1% less than in April a year ago. The $351.00 million year-to-date total is down 5.8% when compared with 2007 at the same time.

Western Region
Western Region manufacturing technology consumption in April rose to $66.61 million, 3.4% higher than March's $64.45 million, and up 44.1% when compared with April 2007. At $208.26 million, year-to-date 2008 is off 1.9% when compared with 2007 at the same time.