Exports of Taiwan-made Machine Tools up 40.5% in First Nine Months of 2011

Taipei, Dec. 13, 2011 (CENS)--Taiwan exported US$2.946 billion of machine tools in the first nine months, up 40.5% from a year earlier, according customs-cleared statistics from the Taiwan Machine Tool Foundation (TMTF).

Exports of metal-cutting machine tools led with US$2.4 billion in the first nine months, up 47% year-on-year and that for metal-forming machines reached US$545.31 million, up 17.5%, with the other major exports being machining centers; lathes; grinding machines; drilling, boring and milling machines; and presses and shearing machines.

China and Hong Kong led as the top export destination by absorbing US$1.202 billion of machine tools from Taiwan in the first nine months, up 21% from a year earlier and accounting for 40.8% of the total exports. The second place went to the U.S. with US$224.31 million, up 111.2% and commanding 7.6%. Turkey stood at third with US$145.46 million, up 80.2% and commanding 4.9%.

Other major export destinations, in descending order, were Thailand, India, Germany, Brazil, South Korea, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, United Kingdom and Russia.

The TMTF's tallies also show that Taiwan imported US$629.65 million of machine tools in the first nine months, up 24.3% year-on-year. Of this, import of metal-cutting machine tools totaled US$549.04 million, up 36.1% and that for metal-forming machine tools amounted to US$80.61 million, down 21.8%, with the other major imports being electric discharge machines; laser-cutting machines; machining centers; lathes; drilling, boring and milling machines; grinding machines; presses and shearing machines.

Japan was the largest supplier by selling US$392.77 million of machine tools to Taiwan in the first nine months, up 29.5% year-on-year and accounting for a whopping 62.4% of the total import. The second place went to Switzerland with US$61.61 million, up 130.5% and commanding 9.8%. Germany stood at third with US$48.51 million, up 6.9% and commanding 7.7%.

Exports of Taiwan-made Machine Tools in Jan.-Sept. 2011 by Product Unit: US$1,000
Products	Jan.-Sept. 2010	Jan.-Sept. 2011	Annual Change (%)
EDM, Laser-cutting Machines	98,898	146,380	48
Machining Centers	640,315	1,016,838	58.8
Lathes	392,070	596,797	52.2
Drilling, Boring, Milling Machines	263,593	299,320	13.6
Grinding Machines	123,852	188,927	52.5
Shaping, Sawing, Gearing Machines	114,449	152,508	33.3
Presses and Shearing Machines	356,867	419,084	17.4
Other Metal-forming Machines	107,288	126,230	17.7
Total	2,097,332	2,946,084	40.5
Source: Taiwan Machine Tool Foundation

Imports of Machine Tools into Taiwan by Product (Jan.-Sept. 2010 & 2011) Unit: US$1,000
Products	Jan.-Sept. 2010	Jan.-Sept. 2011	Annual Change (%)
EDM, Laser-cutting Machines	188,585	240,630	27.6
Machining Centers	35,503	76,487	115.4
Lathes	69,817	70,484	1
Drilling, Boring, Milling Machines	24,050	20,318	-15.5
Grinding Machines	46,650	69,185	48.3
Shaping, Sawing, Gearing Machines	38,759	71,938	85.6
Presses and Shearing Machines	93,059	63,103	-32.2
Other Metal-forming Machines	10,014	17,511	74.9
Total	506,437	629,656	24.3
Source: Taiwan Machine Tool Foundation