**Abstract**
1. Both China and the United States are major players in the global machine tool market, with significant roles in both consumption and production. China stands as the world’s largest producer of machine tools, while the U.S. remains a key consumer and manufacturer. In 2012, China's output value reached 14.7 billion euros, accounting for 22.1% of the global market. However, after years of growth, it experienced a 5% decline. The U.S., on the other hand, continues to rank seventh globally, with its domestic market driving a 7% increase in machine tool output, raising its global share to 5.8%.
From a production perspective, cutting machine tools make up a large portion of the global market. China produces 20.3% of the world’s cutting machines, ranking second, but its share is slightly below the global average of 73%. Forming machines, however, are doing well in China, with a production value of 4.9 billion euros and a 27.2% market share—placing it first globally. In the U.S., the proportion of cutting machines is 74%, matching Germany and slightly above the global average.
In terms of domestic demand, China consumed 23.9 billion euros worth of machine tools, making up 36% of the global total. Despite this, local currency consumption dropped by 3%. The U.S. emerged as the second-largest consumer, with $6.8 billion in spending, representing a 19% growth in dollar terms and 10.2% of the global market.
Regarding exports, China ranks eighth globally, but it has not yet entered the high-end equipment segment, capturing only 3.9% of the global market. Over 90% of China’s machine tools are consumed domestically, with an export rate of just 10%. Meanwhile, the U.S. imports 4.5 billion euros worth of machine tools, accounting for 9.5% of the global import volume, making it the second-largest importer. Its import dependence stands at 67%, significantly higher than China’s 45%.
**2. Comparison of Processing Center Imports**
When looking at import dependency, the U.S. relies more heavily on foreign processing centers than China. In 2012, U.S. import dependency increased by two percentage points, while China’s self-sufficiency rate improved, reducing import dependence by 15 percentage points since 2007.
In the first half of 2013, China imported processing centers worth $1.84 billion, a 26.5% year-on-year decrease. The number of units imported fell by 43%, but the average unit price rose by 29% to $148,000. In contrast, the U.S. imported $620 million worth of processing centers, down 22.2% from the previous year, with 3,481 units imported—a 24.5% drop. The average unit price in the U.S. increased by 3% to $178,000.
China’s demand for processing centers is roughly three times that of the U.S., with import volumes 3.6 times higher. This indicates a growing need for advanced foreign technology as China’s manufacturing sector expands. While U.S. products tend to be more expensive, they reflect higher demand.
Looking at monthly trends, China saw its highest processing center import volume of 5,851 units in August 2012, followed by a sharp decline. Prices dropped to $102,000 per unit in October, then gradually increased. By the first half of 2013, import volumes continued to fall, but prices kept rising, peaking in April before reversing slightly in May and June.
The U.S. experienced its peak in October 2011, followed by a steady decline starting in October 2012. Import prices hit a low in June 2012, then rose sharply, reaching a high of $220,000 per unit in November. In the first half of 2013, U.S. import volumes and prices declined, but the trend reversed in May and June, similar to what was seen in China.
**3. US Imports Are More Concentrated**
China’s processing center imports come primarily from Japan, Germany, and Taiwan. In the first half of 2013, imports from Japan fell by 51.3% to $739 million, dropping from 60.7% to 40.2% of total imports. Germany saw a 51.6% rise to $520 million, increasing its share from 28.3% to 13.7%. Imports from Taiwan decreased by 16.4% to $179 million, with its share rising from 8.6% to 9.7%. The top ten sources accounted for 98.5% of all imports.
For U.S. imports, Japan remained the largest supplier, with $350 million in imports, down 26.4% year-on-year. Taiwan ranked second with $64.8 million, a 29.1% decline. Germany contributed $63.7 million, down 23.4%. The top ten sources accounted for 99.6% of U.S. imports.
In Sino-U.S. trade, the U.S. imported $5.409 million from China in the first half of 2013, down 38.6% year-on-year, accounting for less than 0.9% of total imports. China, on the other hand, imported $56.16 million from the U.S., up 60.6%, increasing its share to 3.1%. This reflects the growing competitiveness of U.S. processing centers.
**4. Differences in Imported Product Structure**
In the first half of 2013, China’s processing center imports were mainly vertical, horizontal, and gantry machining centers, with 43.3% being vertical, 44.5% horizontal, and 9.1% gantry. The rest included other types.
U.S. imports consist mostly of vertical and horizontal machining centers. Vertical models with automatic tool changers (ATC) are categorized by Y-axis stroke length, while horizontal models are divided based on Y-axis range.
In terms of unit price, the U.S. imports the most high-end processing centers from France, with prices reaching up to $469,000 per unit. Switzerland follows with $336,000 per unit, while Germany, Italy, and Japan offer machines priced between $220,000 and $240,000. Lower-cost options come from Thailand, Denmark, Singapore, the Czech Republic, South Korea, and China, ranging from $100,000 to $130,000.
China’s high-end processing centers are primarily imported from Spain, averaging $1.54 million per unit. Italian models cost around $1.109 million, while Czech machines are close to $1 million. German units average $688,000, and those from Singapore, South Korea, and the UK range between $100,000 and $180,000. Japanese and Thai machines are priced around $100,000, while those from Taiwan and the U.S. are approximately $70,000 each.
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