USMTC:Manufacturing technology consumption down 60.4% for 2009

December U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $219.60 million, according to AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology, and AMTDA, the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTC program, was up 22.9 percent from November but down 5.7 percent from the total of $232.93 million reported for December 2008. With a year-to-date total of $1,771.91 million, 2009 is down 60.4 percent compared with 2008.

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 bump in November and December orders reflects the expiration of investment incentives at the end of 2009," said Douglas K. Woods, AMT President. "AMT and 40 other industry groups have sent Congress and the President a letter urging them to reinstate the Recovery Act's depreciation bonus and increased Sec. 179 expensing provisions. Foreign tax structures encourage capital equipment investment and our government needs to meet the competition if U.S. manufacturing is to generate jobs and be the innovation engine to drive our economy."

The United States 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 United States.

Northeast Region—Northeast Region manufacturing technology consumption in December rose to $43.92 million, up 31.8 percent when compared with November's $33.32 million but down 15.4 percent when compared with December 2008. With a year-to-date total of $345.65 million, 2009 was down 48.9 percent when compared with 2008 at the same time.

Southern Region—December manufacturing technology consumption in the Southern Region totaled $29.49 million, up 7.3 percent when compared with the $27.48 million total for November but off 18.2 percent when compared with December a year ago. The $245.45 million year-to-date total was 63.6 percent less than the total for the same period in 2008.

Midwest Region—Totaling $62.22 million, Midwest Region manufacturing technology consumption in December rose 27.1 percent above November's $48.94 million and was 14.1 percent higher than the total for December 2008. At $506.16 million, 2009 year-to-date was off 65.4 percent when compared with last year at the same time.

Central Region—With a total of $54.74 million, Central Region manufacturing technology consumption in December was 10.7 percent higher than November's $49.46 million but off 3.1 percent when compared with December a year ago. The year-to-date total of $434.30 million was 61.6 percent less than the comparable figure in 2008.

Western Region—At $29.22 million, December manufacturing technology consumption in the Western Region was up 50.4 percent from November's $19.43 million but down 13.8 percent when compared with December a year ago. The $240.36 million year-to-date total was 54.4 percent less than the 2008 total at the same time.