China's imports of Japanese machine tools fell the most in the first half of the year

Abstract According to data from the China Machine Tool Industry Association, in the first half of 2013, China’s total import and export volume, as well as its exports and imports of machine tool products, all declined compared to the same period in the previous year. The combined import and export value reached $12.64 billion, marking a year-on-year drop of 10.3%. Specifically, exports totaled $4.46 billion, down 1.5% year-on-year, while imports amounted to $8.18 billion, declining by 14.5%. This significant reduction in imports helped shrink the trade deficit, which fell to $3.72 billion, a 26.2% decrease compared to the previous year. Notably, imports from Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea dropped sharply, with Japanese machine tool imports falling by as much as 41.6%. On the export side, China’s machine tool exports reached $2.03 billion in the first half of 2013, representing a 7% increase from the previous year. However, this growth was slower than in 2012. The average export price stood at just $240 per unit. Among the key categories, metal processing machines accounted for $1.38 billion in exports, up only 1.7%, with an average price of $317. Gold cutting tools and forming machines saw declines of 4.3% and 14.0%, respectively, while CNC metalworking machines exported for $510 million, down 2.8% year-on-year. In contrast, machining centers and combined machine tools experienced strong growth, rising by 3.3% and 9.69% respectively. In terms of export markets, Asia, Europe, and North America remained the primary destinations for Chinese machine tool exports. Exports to Asia and North America grew by 7.45% and 16.76%, respectively, with the U.S. market showing the strongest performance at 19.27%. However, European exports declined slightly by 4.53%. Together, Asian and European markets accounted for about 40% of total exports, while Latin America and Africa made up around 20%. Regionally, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, and Shanghai were the top contributors, with Jiangsu alone accounting for 20% of total machine tool exports. In the CNC segment, Jiangsu and Liaoning led, with export prices more than double the national average. China imported approximately 53,000 machine tools in the first half of 2013, a 16% decline year-on-year, with an import value of $5.7 billion, down 17.6%. Metal processing machines were the largest category, with 38,426 units imported, a 22.3% decrease, valued at $5.26 billion, down 16.9%. These accounted for 92% of total machine tool imports. Gold cutting and forming machines saw drops of 18.3% and 11.6%, respectively, while CNC metalworking machine imports fell by 17.9%. However, the average price of CNC machines increased by 16.4% year-on-year. Key categories such as machining centers, multi-station combined machines, boring machines, and CNC grinders showed strong demand. From the perspective of import sources, Asia and Europe still dominated China’s machine tool imports, accounting for nearly 95% of total imports. Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea saw sharp declines, with Japanese imports dropping by 41.6%. This decline significantly contributed to the overall drop in machine tool imports. Meanwhile, Germany, the U.S., and the U.K. saw notable increases. In particular, processing centers—making up 50% of CNC machine tool imports—were a major growth driver in Europe and the U.S., contrasting with the sharp declines observed in Asian markets.