Taiwan's Exports of Machine Tools Down 51.9% in 1st Four Months

Taipei, July 2, 2009 (CENS)--Taiwan exported US$585.89 million in machine tools in the first four months of this year, down 51.9% year-on-year, according to the Taiwan Machine Tool Foundation (TMTF). Of this, exports for metal-cutting machine tools came to US$444.49 million, down 54.2% and that for metal-forming machine tools amounted to US$141.4 million, down 42.6%.

Hong Kong and China together imported the most by absorbing US$182.45 million in machine tools from Taiwan in the first four months of this year, down 47.7% annually and accounting for 31.1% of the total exports. The U.S. was second with US$57.23 million, down 48.5% and commanding 9.8%. Germany was third with US$36.8 million, down 44.5% and accounting for 6.3%.

The TMTF's tallies also show that Taiwan imported US$108.71 million of machine tools in the first four months of this year, down 84.6% from a year before. Of this, imports for metal-cutting machine tools came to US$86.46 million, down 87.2% annually and that for metal-forming machine tools amounted to US$22.24 million, down 28.6%.

Japan was still the island's largest supplier with US$42.52 million of machine tools in the first four months of this year, down 90.4% year-on-year and accounting for 39.1% of the total imports. The second place went to Germany with US$21.23 million, up 44.4% and commanding 19.5%. Italy was third with US$8.81 million, up 17.8% and accounting for 8.1%.

TMTF CEO C.C. Wang noted that many domestic manufacturers of machine tools unanimously said demand from Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, North America, the European Union and Latin America had been on the wane in the first half of this year.

Exports of Taiwan-made Machine Tools (Jan.-Apr. 2009) Unit: US$1,000
Products	Jan.-April, 2008	Jan.-April, 2009	Annual Change (%)
EDM, Laser-cutting Machines	49,884	19,025	-61.9
Machining Centers	400,050	149,379	-62.7
Lathes	153,060	153,060	-46
Drilling, Boring, Milling Machines	63,215	63,215	-48
Grinding Machines	58,179	24,880	-57.2
Shaping, Sawing, Gearing Machines	57,927	34,933	-39.7
Presses and Shearing Machines	194,429	112,905	-41.9
Other Metal-forming Machines	52,099	28,502	-45.3
Total	1,217,458	585,899	-51.9
Source: Taiwan Machine Tool Foundation

Imports of Machine Tools into Taiwan (Jan.-Apr. 2009) Unit: US$1,000
Products	Jan.-April, 2008	Jan.-April, 2009	Annual Change (%)
EDM, Laser-cutting Machines	572,302	30,683	-94.6
Machining Centers	19,207	11,478	-40.2
Lathes	29,798	10,377	-65.2
Drilling, Boring, Milling Machines	14,869	5,876	-60.5
Grinding Machines	28,890	21,177	-26.7
Shaping, Sawing, Gearing Machines	11,693	6,878	-41.2
Presses and Shearing Machines	29,520	18,254	-38.2
Other Metal-forming Machines	1,645	3,987	142.4
Total	707,924	108,710	-84.6
Source: Taiwan Machine Tool Foundation