March U.S. cutting tool shipments totaled $259 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).
Orders jumped 15.2% from February and surged 24.6% year-over-year. Year-to-date shipments totaled $705 million, up 15.9% from the same period in 2025. The number of units shipped also increased in February and March, with a modest February rise followed by a larger March gain.
“Most machine shops are booking customer orders for all types of manufactured components at a pace not seen for several years, driving the demand for tooling and new equipment,” said Jack Burley, Chairman of AMT’s Cutting Tool Product Group and president of cutting tool manufacturer Big Daishowa. “As a result, the March total for cutting tool shipments broke all records — a clear indication that toolmakers are working hard to meet delivery demands and maintain inventory. Behind the good news are concerns about increasing costs and shortages of tungsten carbide and high-speed steel, as well as the escalating price of oil and gas due to the conflict in the Middle East.”
Costikyan Jarvis, President of fellow cutting tool manufacturer Jarvis Cutting Tools, added: “Anyone reviewing this data should be cautious about interpreting dollar growth as demand growth in an environment where the cost inflation of raw materials is running at historic levels. However, the March 2026 results may also reflect a significant buy-ahead effort, with customers anticipating price increases or supply disruptions. Sustained demand strength will need to be confirmed over the coming months before the industry can draw meaningful conclusions about the underlying trend.”
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.
