In the first three quarters of 2011, the U.S. import of metal processing machine tools increased sharply and the trade deficit expanded.

Recently, the American Manufacturing Technology Association (AMT) released the latest statistics on the US import and export trade of metalworking machines in September 2011. In September 2011, the U.S. export value of metal processing machine tools was US$223 million, a decrease of 0.89% from the previous quarter, but a year-on-year increase of 13.74%; the import value was US$417 million, a decrease of 6.88% from the previous quarter, but still a significant year-on-year increase of 96.33%. In September, the U.S. metal processing machine tool's trade deficit was 195 million U.S. dollars, a decrease of 12.9% from the previous month, but a significant increase of 10.73 times year-on-year.

In the first three quarters of 2011, the United States exported 1.975 billion U.S. dollars of metal processing machine tools, an increase of 29% over the 1.532 billion U.S. dollars in the same period of 2010; and the metal processing machine tools imported were 3.215 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 75.9% over the 1.838 billion U.S. dollars in the same period in 2010. In the first nine months, the U.S. metal processing machine tool trade deficit reached 1.24 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 318.4% over the 296 million U.S. dollars in the same period of the previous year.

In September, exports of gold cut and forming machine tools kept growing in the United States. In September, the United States exported metal processing machines for US$2.23, including export CNC machine tools with US$86 million, a decrease of 5.5% from the previous quarter. In the first three quarters, the United States exported a total of 837 million U.S. dollars worth of CNC machine tools, an increase of 26.6% over the 661 million U.S. dollars in the same period of 2010. In the first three quarters, the export value of CNC machine tools accounted for 42.37% of the total export value.

In terms of product types, in September, the United States exported 153 million US dollars worth of metal cutting machine tools, a year-on-year increase of 5.6%; and exported metal forming machines by US$70 million, a decrease of 12.6% from the previous quarter. In the first three quarters, the United States exported 1.307 billion U.S. dollars worth of metal-cutting machine tools, an increase of 30.5% over the 1.102 billion U.S. dollars for the same period in 2010, and exported 666 million U.S. dollars worth of metal forming machine tools, an increase of 26.1% from 530 million U.S. dollars in the same period of last year.

CNC machine tools account for 70% of the total imports of metal processing machine tools

In September, the United States imported 417 million U.S. dollars worth of metal processing machines, including 298 million U.S. dollars worth of CNC machine tools, a decrease of 3.2% from the previous quarter. In the first three quarters of the year, the United States imported CNC machine tools for 2.256 billion U.S. dollars, a substantial increase of 95.1% over the 1.116 billion U.S. dollars for the same period in 2010. In the first three quarters, imports of CNC machine tools accounted for 70.16% of total imports.

In terms of product types, in September, the United States imported 338 million US dollars of metal cutting machine tools, an increase of 4.1% from the previous month; imported metal forming machines accounted for 80 million US dollars, a decrease of 17.2% from the previous month. In the first three quarters, the United States imported 2.249 billion U.S. dollars worth of metal-cutting machine tools, an increase of 84.4% from 1.407 billion U.S. dollars in the same period of 2010; and cumulatively imported metal forming machines were 621 million U.S. dollars, an increase of 47.4% over the 421 million U.S. dollars in the same period in 2010.