December U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $321.35 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 6.9% from November, and down 0.5% from the total of $322.81 million reported for&nbsp ; December 2005. With a year-end total of $3,889.75 million, 2006 was up 26.8% compared with 2005.

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

2006 was an exceptional year, with the highest U.S. consumption since 2000, says John B. Byrd III, AMT President. Growth should continue in 2007, at a more modest pace, as U.S. manufacturers continue to modernize to meet global competition.”

The United States Machine Tool 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.&nbsp ; Analysis of machine tool consumption provides a reliable leading economic indicator as manufacturing industries invest in capital metalworking equipment to increase capacity and improve productivity.

U.S. machine tool consumption is also reported on a regional basis for five geographic break-downs of the United States.

Northeast Region
December manufacturing technology consumption in the Northeast Region stood at $57.61 million, up 1.7% from November’s $56.65 million and 20.3% higher than the December 2005 total. At $582.25 million, the yearend consumption total was 37.2% higher than in 2005.

Southern Region
Southern Region manufacturing technology consumption in December rose to $50.08 million, 50.6% higher than November’s $33.25 million and up 13.4% when compared with December a year ago. The year-end total of $495.87 million was 1.9% higher than the comparable figure a year ago.

Midwestern Region
Totaling $68.54 million, December Midwestern Region manufacturing technology consumption was 40.3% less than November’s $114.76 million and 38.1% less than the December 2005 figure. With a year-end total of $1,211.17 million, 2006 was 13.7% ahead of 2005.

Central Region
At $81.67 million, December Central Region manufacturing technology consumption was down 16.3% compared with November’s $97.61 million, but 9.1% higher than the December 2005 total. At year-end, consumption totaled $1,003.48 million, 49.3% higher than the comparable figure in 2005.

Western Region
Western Region December manufacturing technology consumption rose to $63.45 million, 48.1% higher than November’s $42.85 million and 40.4% higher than the December total a year ago. The $596.98 million tallied in 2006 was 42.5% higher than the 2005 total.