MCLEAN, VA—According to the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT), December U.S. machine tool sales totaled $220.88 million. This total was up 15.4 percent from November, and up 10.8 percent from the total of $199.43 million reported for December 2002. With a year-end total of $1.99 billion, 2003 is down 7.9 percent compared to 2002.

"Manufacturing technology orders finished strong in the fourth quarter last year," says John B. Byrd III, president of AMT. "Our customers' capacity use and profits are growing, a combination that has historically signaled previous recoveries in capital spending."

The following is machine tool sales on a regional basis.

  • At $29.53 million, December machine tool sales in the Northeast increased 33.1 percent from November's $22.19 million and 28.4 percent higher than the total for December 2002. The year-end total of $261.04 million was 16 percent lower than the comparable figure for 2002.
  • December machine tool sales in the South rose to $32.31 million, which is 86.3 percent higher than November's $17.35 million, but down 14.1 percent compared to December 2002. With a year-end total of $373.18 million, 2003 was up 2 percent compared to 2002.
  • Machine tool sales in the Midwest in December totaled $91.75 million, up 21.9 percent from November's $75.28 million and 18.8 percent higher than the December 2002 total. At $797.81 million, the year-end 2003 figure was 4.3 percent lower than in 2002.
  • December machine tool sales in the Central region stood at $37.47 million, 36 percent lower than November's $58.51 million, but up 11.2 percent when compared to December 2002. The year-end total of $357.23 million was 12.8 percent less than the year-end 2002 total.
  • With a December total of $29.82 million, machine tool sales in the West increased 64.6 percent from November's $18.12 million and 7 percent higher than the total for December 2002. At $203.74 million, the year-end total was 16.6 percent less than last year.