MCLEAN, VA -- December U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $400.31 million, according to The Association For Manufacturing Technology (AMT) and the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association (AMTDA). This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTC program, was up 7.5% from November, and up 20.9% from the total of $331.23 million reported for December 2006. With a year-end total of $4,261.47 million, 2007 was up 8.0% compared with 2006.

These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the USMTC program.

“Exceptionally strong December results have driven 2007 manufacturing technology orders to a level 8 percent above 2006,” said John B. Byrd III, AMT President. “This is the fourth complete year in the current growth cycle as U.S. manufacturers continue to apply innovative manufacturing technologies to improve productivity.”

The United States Manufacturing Technology Consumption (USMTC) report, jointly compiled by the two trade associations representing the production and distribution of manufacturing technology, provides regional and national U.S. consumption data of domestic and imported machine tools and related equipment. Analysis of manufacturing technology consumption provides a reliable leading economic indicator as manufacturing industries invest in capital metalworking equipment to increase capacity and improve productivity.

U.S. manufacturing technology consumption is also reported on a regional basis for five geographic breakdowns of the United States.