August MT orders, falling below 140 billion JPY first time in 6 months

Japan Machine Tool Builders’ Association (JMTBA) announced firm report of machine tool orders for August 2022. The total amount of orders received was 139.3 billion yen, falling below 140 billion yen for the first time in six months. However, despite the summer breaks in Japan, Europe, and other regions, and various risk factors, the orders received remained high, reflecting a positive approach to capital investment in general.

Domestic demand decreased for the second consecutive month, while year-on-year (YoY) demand increased for the 18th consecutive month to 51.7 billion yen. This was the third consecutive month in which domestic demand exceeded 50 billion yen. Despite the strong downward pressure from fewer business days due to summer vacation and the “7th wave” of COVID-19, the decline was slight, down only 0.4% from the previous month, showing the strength of domestic demand. This was supported by higher semiconductor-related demand and a recovery in the automotive sector. In addition, there are strong expectations for JIMTOF 2022 in the industry, and strong orders are expected to remain for the moment.

Foreign demand decreased for the third consecutive month, but YoY demand increased for the 22nd consecutive month to 87.5 billion yen. The orders fell below 90 billion yen for the first time in 8 months, but reached a record high for August, and the high level of orders remains. By region, orders from Asia increased for the first time in two months, as the impact of the lockdown in China to last until the end of May eased, and those from Taiwan and India also increased. Meanwhile, the 45.0 billion yen figure fell for the second consecutive month. In Europe, the monthly total fell below 16.0 billion yen for the first time in two months, mainly in major EU countries, due mainly to the vacation season.  Orders from North America, on the other hand, remained at a high level, exceeding 25 billion yen for the 12th consecutive month. The impact of the rapid rise in interest rates remains unnoticeable.

August Summary

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Japan MT orders for

October 2021: strong orders from Europe and the U.S.

November 2021:Both domestic and foreign demand remain strong

December 2021: First drop below 140 billion yen in 4 months, but still remains high

2021 summary: Japan’s MT orders in 2021 raise for the first time in 3 years

January 2022: Large orders in foreign demand; total orders exceed 140 billion yen

February 2022: High levels of both domestic and foreign demand, generally keeping strong

March 2022: Strong March results despite risk factors

April 2o22: April MT orders, minimal impact from risk factors

May 2022: May MT orders, 3 new records for foreign demand

June 2022: June MT preliminary report, orders remain favorable

July 2022: July MT orders, second-highest July month on record