Taiwan Exports US$987.94 M. in Machine Tools in 1st Seven Months

Taipei, Oct. 14, 2009 (CENS)--Taiwan exported US$987.94 million of machine tools in the first seven months of this year, down 55.7% year-on-year, according to the Taiwan Machine Tool Foundation (TMTF), including metal-cutting machine tools totaling US$660.75 million, down 57.7% and metal-forming machine tools of US$237.18 million, down 47.7%.

Exports of machining centers totaled US$259.628 million in the first seven months of this year, down 64.2% year-on-year, and those of electric discharge machines and laser-cutting machines amounted to US$40.561 million, down 57.1%. Outbound shipments of lathes came to US$504.305 million, down 53.4%. (See Table I)

China and Hong Kong together ranked first by absorbing US$366.12 million worth of Taiwan-made machine tools in the first seven months of this year, down 45% year-on-year and accounting for 37.1% of the total exports. The second place went to the U.S. with US$85.79 million, down 58% and commanding 8.7%. Germany stood at the third place with US$50.3 million, down 60.1% and accounting for 5.1%.

The TMTF tallies also showed that Taiwan imported US$185.14 million in machine tools in the first seven months of this year, down 82.9% from a year earlier, including metal-cutting machine tools totaling US$149.03 million, down 85.4%, and metal-forming machine tools totaling US$36.1 million, down 38.8%.

Japan was Taiwan's largest supplier by selling US$78.2 million in machine tools in the first seven months, down 88.7% year-on-year and accounting for 42.1% of the total imports. Germany was second at US$29.81 million, down 34.8% and commanding 16.1%. Italy was third at US$16.27 million, surging 77.7% and accounting for 8.8%.

TMTF CEO C.C. Wang said many domestic machine-tool manufacturers and exporters have seen sharp decline in orders from Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, North America, European Union, and Latin America.

Wang also said that Taiwan-based machine-tool manufacturers in 2009 were battered by local currency fluctuations against the greenback, the sharp devaluation of the Korean won that gives the major rival in machine-tools an edge, the still high prices of steel and cast iron, and plummeting foreign orders.

(Table I)

Exports of Taiwan-made Machine Tools in Jan.-July 2009 by Products Unit: US$1,000
Products	Jan.-July 2998	Jan.-July 2009	Annual Change (%)
EDM, Laser-cutting Machines	94,553	40,561	-57.1
Machining Centers	726,033	259,628	-64.2
Lathes	504,305	235,159	-53.4
Drilling, Boring, Milling Machines	221,472	115,053	-48.1
Grinding Machines	118,579	46,580	-60.7
Shaping, Sawing, Gearing Machines	109,553	53,779	-50.9
Presses and Shearing Machines	365,834	188,177	-48.6
Other Metal-forming Machines	87,846	49,008	-44.2
Total	2,228,175	987,945	-55.7
Source: Taiwan Machine Tool Foundation

(Table II)

Imports of Machine Tools by Taiwan in Jan.-July 2009 by Products Unit: US$1,000
Products	Jan.-July 2008	Jan.-July 2009	Annual Change (%)
EDM, Laser-cutting Machines	832,207	49,451	-94.1
Machining Centers	32,424	16,086	-50.4
Lathes	53,128	19,397	-63.5
Drilling, Boring, Milling Machines	29,545	11,832	-60
Grinding Machines	57,093	36,023	-36.9
Shaping, Sawing, Gearing Machines	18,310	16,244	-11.3
Presses and Shearing Machines	52,961	29,817	-43.7
Other Metal-forming Machines	6,034	6,292	4.3
Total	1,081,702	185,142	-82.9
Source: Taiwan Machine Tool Foundation