**Abstract**
1. Both China and the United States are major players in the global machine tool market. China is the world’s largest producer of machine tools, with an output value of 14.7 billion euros in 2012, representing 22.1% of the global total. However, after years of growth, its share declined by 5%. The United States continues to hold the seventh position globally, but its domestic demand has driven a 7% increase in machine tool output, raising its global share to 5.8%.
From the perspective of cutting machine tools, China produced 20.3% of the world's total, ranking second, with a 67% share of cutting machines, slightly below the global average of 73%. In contrast, forming machine tools in China have shown strong performance, reaching a production value of 4.9 billion euros with a 27.2% market share—placing it first globally. The U.S. has a higher proportion of cutting machines at 74%, matching Germany’s level.
In terms of domestic demand, China consumed 23.9 billion euros worth of machine tools in 2012, accounting for 36% of the global consumption. However, local currency consumption fell by 3%. Meanwhile, the U.S. became the second-largest consumer, with 6.8 billion euros in spending, reflecting a 19% year-on-year growth and a 10.2% share of global consumption.
Regarding exports, China ranked eighth in machine tool exports, but still lacks high-end equipment, capturing only 3.9% of the global market. Domestically, 90% of machine tools are consumed, with just 10% exported. For certain products, the export rate reaches as high as 46.5%.
On the import side, China imported 10.6 billion euros of machine tools, making it the largest importer globally, with a 28.6% share and an import dependency of 45%. The U.S. imported 4.5 billion euros, the second-highest, with a 9.5% share and a higher import dependency of 67%.
**2. Comparison of Processing Center Imports**
Looking at import dependence, the U.S. relies more heavily on imports, with a 2 percentage point increase in 2012. China, however, has been improving its self-sufficiency, reducing import dependence by 15 percentage points since 2007.
In the first half of 2013, China imported processing centers worth $1.84 billion, down 26.5% year-on-year, with 12,400 units imported—a 43% drop. The average unit price rose by 29% to $148,000 per set. In the same period, the U.S. imported $620 million worth of processing centers, down 22.2% year-on-year, with 3,481 units—down 24.5%—and an average price of $178,000 per set, up 3%.
China’s demand for processing centers is roughly three times that of the U.S., and its import volume is 3.6 times higher, indicating a growing need for advanced foreign technology due to rapid industrial expansion. The higher import prices in the U.S. suggest stronger demand for American-made machines.
Looking at monthly data, China’s processing center imports reached a peak of 5,851 units in August 2012, followed by a sharp decline. The unit price dropped to $102,000 in October before gradually rising. From January to June 2013, import volume decreased while prices increased, peaking in April before reversing in May and June.
In contrast, the U.S. saw its highest import levels in October 2011, followed by a steady decline after October 2012. Prices hit a low in June 2012 before rising sharply, reaching a peak of $220,000 in November. In the first half of 2013, both import volume and unit prices declined in the U.S., but this trend reversed in May and June.
**3. U.S. Imports Are More Concentrated**
In terms of sources, Japan, Germany, and Taiwan were the top three suppliers of processing centers to China. In the first half of 2013, Japan accounted for 40.2% of Chinese imports, down from 60.7% in 2012, with a value of $739 million—a 51.3% decrease. Germany’s imports rose by 51.6% to $520 million, or 13.7% of the total. Taiwan’s imports fell by 16.4% to $179 million, with a slight increase in market share to 9.7%.
The U.S. was among the top ten import sources, along with South Korea, Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, and Singapore, which together accounted for 98.5% of total imports.
For U.S. imports, Japan was the largest supplier, with $350 million in imports—a 26.4% drop from the previous year, accounting for 59.6% of the total. Taiwan followed with $64.8 million, down 29.1%, and Germany contributed $63.7 million, down 23.4%. Top ten sources accounted for 99.6% of total imports.
In terms of Sino-U.S. trade, the U.S. imported $5.4 million from China in the first half of 2013, a 38.6% drop, accounting for less than 0.9%. Meanwhile, China imported $56.16 million from the U.S., a 60.6% increase, with its share rising to 3.1%, showing improved competitiveness of U.S. machine tools.
**4. Differences in Imported Product Structure**
In the first half of 2013, China primarily imported vertical machining centers (43.3%), horizontal machining centers (44.5%), and gantry machining centers (9.1%). The U.S. also mainly imported vertical and horizontal models, with vertical ones further categorized by Y-axis stroke length. Horizontal models were classified based on Y-axis stroke ranges.
In terms of pricing, the U.S. imported the most high-end processing centers from France, with unit prices reaching $469,000. Switzerland followed with $336,000, while Germany, Italy, and Japan had prices between $220,000 and $240,000. Lower-priced units came from Thailand, Denmark, Singapore, the Czech Republic, South Korea, and China.
China’s high-end processing centers mainly came from Spain, averaging $1.54 million per unit, while Italian machines averaged $1.109 million. Czech units were close to $1 million, and German machines cost about $688,000. Singapore, South Korea, and the UK offered units priced between $100,000 and $180,000. Japanese and Thai machines were around $100,000, while those from Taiwan and the U.S. were approximately $70,000 each.
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