January U.S. cutting tool shipments totaled $221 million according to the latest Cutting Tool Market Report (CTMR) published by the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute and the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT).
That total increased increased 2.7% from December and 9.9% year-over-year, following December gains of 4.3% and 17.1%, respectively. For all of 2025, shipments ended the year up 2.5% annually.
January’s monthly increase was the smallest such growth for that month since 2022.
“Activity, usage and new projects all indicate that the latest trend is very positive,” said Jack Burley, Chairman of AMT’s Cutting Tool Product Group and President of cutting tool manufacturer Big Daishowa. “Overall, this year is off to a good start, with no indications of a slowdown. However, the cost of tungsten carbide raw materials continues to increase, challenging cutting tool manufacturers to stay competitive.”
“The data on cutting tool shipments shows indications of continued volatility,” tempered Bret Tayne, President of fellow cutting tool maker Everede Tool Company. “Recent events have raised economic uncertainty, complicating efforts to project levels of overall industrial production.”
The Cutting Tool Market Report is jointly compiled by AMT and USCTI, two trade associations representing the development, production and distribution of cutting tool technology and products. It provides a monthly statement on U.S. manufacturers’ consumption of the primary consumable in the manufacturing process — the cutting tool. Analysis of cutting tool consumption is a leading indicator of both upturns and downturns in U.S. manufacturing activity, as it is a true measure of actual production levels.
The graph below includes the 12-month moving average for the durable goods shipments and cutting tool orders. These values are calculated by taking the average of the most recent 12 months and plotting them over time. Click on the chart for a larger version.
