Exports of Taiwan-made Machine Tools Surge 39.1% in First 10 Months of 2011

Taipei, Janu. 10, 2012 (CENS)--Taiwan exported US$3.294 billion of machine tools in the first 10 months of 2011, up 39.1% year-on-year, according to customs-cleared statistics compiled by the Taiwan Machine Tool Foundation (TMTF).

Exports of metal-cutting machine tools came to US$2.689 billion, up 45.4% from a year earlier and that for metal-forming machines totaled US$604.39 million, up 16.6%.

Exports of machining centers amounted to US$1.142 billion in the first 10 months of 2011, up 56.1% year-on-year from US$731.65 million, and that of grinding machines came to US$209.59 million, up 51.4%. Other major exports include drilling, boring and milling machines; shaping, sawing and gearing machines; and other metal-forming machines.

China and Hong Kong together was the largest export outlet for Taiwan-made machine tools by absorbing US$1.318 billion of the products in the first 10 months of 2011, up 18% year-on-year and accounting for 40% of the total exports. The U.S. stood at the second place with US$263.59 million, up 116.5% and commanding 8%. Turkey ranked third with US$160.11 million, up 78.2% and accounting for 4.9%.

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

The TMTF's tallies also show that Taiwan imported US$700.93 million of machine tools in the first 10 months, up 20.3% year-on-year. Of this, metal-cutting machine tools accounted for US$608.38 million, up 28.2% and metal-forming machine tools commanded US$92.54 million, down 14.4%.

The import of machining centers amounted to US$82.527 million in the first 10 months, up 99.1% from US$41.44 million of a year earlier. That for grinding machines came to US$77.667 million, up 37.7% from US$56.386 million. Other major imports were drilling, boring and milling machines; shaping, sawing and gearing machines; presses and shearing machines; and other metal-forming machine tools.

Japan was the island's largest supplier by selling US$435.85 million of machine tools to Taiwan in the first 10 moths, up 22.2% from a year earlier and accounting for 62.2% of the total imports. Switzerland ranked second with US$63.89 million, up 91.7% and accounting for 9.1%. The third place went to Germany with US$55.55 million, up 13.6% and commanding 7.9%.

TMTF CEO C.C. Wang said the biggest variables influencing Taiwan's machine-tool manufacturers are price volatility of cast iron, unsteady supply of key components and parts, appreciation of NT dollar against the U.S. dollar, and the free trade agreements between the European Union and South Korea and between the U.S. and South Korea.

Wang noted that many domestic machine-tool manufacturers have received orders for shipment in the third quarter of 2012, prompting hiring more workers and shift work, but many of the orders are rush and short-term.

Exports of Taiwan-made Machine Tools by Product (Jan.-Oct. 2011) Unit: US$1,000
Products	Jan.-Oct. 2010	Jan.-Oct. 2011	Annual Change (%)
EDM, Laser-cutting Machines	112,421	159,980	42.3
Machining Centers	731,652	1,142,261	56.1
Lathes	439,376	674,184	53.4
Drilling, Boring, Milling Machines	296,121	329,982	11.4
Grinding Machines	138,465	209,592	51.4
Shaping, Sawing, Gearing Machines	131,411	173,826	32.3
Presses and Shearing Machines	396,902	467,779	17.9
Other Metal-forming Machines	121,427	136,619	12.5
Total	2,367,775	3,294,223	39.1
Source: Taiwan Machine Tool Foundation

Imports of Machine Tools into Taiwan by Product (Jan.-Oct. 2011) Unit: US$1,000
Products	Jan.-Oct. 2010	Jan.-Oct. 2011	Annual Change (%)
EDM, Laser-cutting Machines	218,068	270,935	24.2
Machining Centers	41,440	82,527	99.1
Lathes	77,758	80,834	4
Drilling, Boring, Milling Machines	25,850	23,272	-10
Grinding Machines	56,386	77,667	37.7
Shaping, Sawing, Gearing Machines	54,962	73,146	33.1
Presses and Shearing Machines	97,690	71,929	-26.4
Other Metal-forming Machines	10,391	20,620	98.4
Total	582,545	700,930	20.3
Source: Taiwan Machine Tool Foundation