VDW: The output value of the German machine tool industry fell by 23% in the first half of the year

Statistics from the German Machine Tool Manufacturers Association (VDW) show that in the first half of 2009, the German machine tool industry showed an overall shrinking trend in terms of output value, order volume, and import and export trade. In the first half of this year, the total output value of German machine tools (including the output value of metalworking machine tools, machine tool accessories, and machine tool installation, repair and maintenance costs) was 5.1 billion euros, down 23% compared with the same period last year. Excluding the costs of machine tool installation, repair and maintenance, the output value of machine tools was 4.77 billion euros, a year-on-year decrease of 23%. In terms of orders, in the first half of the year, the total order for German machine tools was 2.791 billion euros, a year-on-year decrease of 67%. Among them, domestic orders were 985 million euros, down 71% year-on-year; overseas orders were 1.806 billion euros, down 65% year-on-year. In terms of imports and exports, in the first half of the year, German machine tools (excluding machine tool installation, repair and maintenance costs) exported 3.011 billion euros, a year-on-year decrease of 23%. Imported machine tools were 1.251 billion euros, a year-on-year decrease of 30%. Domestic machine tool consumption was 3.01 billion euros, down 26% year-on-year. From the perspective of the export market, in the first half of the year, the most important exporter of German machine tools was China, and the export value (including machine tool accessories) was 615 million euros, an increase of 24% year-on-year, accounting for 20.4% of Germany's total export value. The second largest exporter is the United States, with an export value of 212 million euros, down 35% year-on-year. The third largest exporter is Russia, with an export value of 175 million euros, down 25% year-on-year. From the source of machine tool imports, in the first half of the year, Germany imported the most machine tools from Switzerland, with an import value of 317 million euros, but a decrease of 41% compared with the same period in 2008, accounting for 25.3% of the import share. Followed by Italy, the import value was 153 million euros, an increase of 17% year-on-year, and the import share increased to 12.3%. The third is Japan, with an import value of 117 million euros, a year-on-year decrease of 56% and a share of 9.4%. The import of machine tools from China was 39 million euros, a year-on-year decrease of 23%.