Machinery IndustryMachine tools > Exports of machine tools

Exports of machine tools 2008 - 2022

Rising average values of machine tools go hand in hand with declining exports to China

Symbol picture exports

The global economic crisis of 2008/2009 also shook up the export markets for machine tools. The BRIC countries became the number one export region for three years.

This report follows the development of the most important export countries until 2022 and combines it with the development of the average values per machine tool in Euro.

Update October 5, 2023 - As a result of the global economic crisis of 2008/09, export quotas of machine tools to the EU dropped from 46% to 33% in 2010. At the same time, exports of machine tools to BRIC countries skyrocketed from 25% to 38% (2020). Exports to China even doubled their share from 13% to 27% in 2010.


With the year 2013, exports began to return to the familiar paths of before the global economic crisis. In 2016, this return is completed.


The export share to the EU almost reached its pre-crisis level of 42%, while the export share to the BRIC countries fell back from its peak of 38% in 2010 to its pre-crisis level of 25%.

Export shares of machine tools in main export countries from 2008 to 2022.

Let's compare the two export markets with the relatively biggest changes - the BRIC countries resp. China and the USA.

China's leading export position has been relativizing since 2012

As a result of the global economic crisis, the export share of machine tools to China almost tripled from 13% to 34% in 2012. The export share to the USA dropped to 7% in 2009 and 2010 and increased to 11% in 2012 - a third of that of China.


Production and sales of machine tools also fell until 2010 and only climbed out of the crisis low from 2011, as one report shows.


So declining exports to the USA were part of the problem, rising exports to China were part of the solution.

Export shares of machine tools to the USA and China from 2008 to 2022.

Since 2015, exports to the U.S. have slowly increased from 10% to 12% in 2018, reaching their previous peak of 13% in 2022.


Exports of machine tools to China are developing in the opposite direction. Already in 2015, the export rate to China is 22%, well below its peak of 34% in 2012. In 2022, the export rate of machine tools to China is 18%, its lowest level since 2008, except for 2020 with the lockdown in China.

With rising unit value of machine tools exports to China were decreasing

What connection does the value1 in euros per machine tool show with the export markets?


The unit value, i.e. the value in euros per machine tool, can be divided into three phases.


From 2008 to 2010, the unit value of machine tools increased moderately, while exports to China doubled from 13% to 27%, to the EU fell by a third from 46% to 33% as a result of the global economic crisis and also to the USA from 8% to 7%.


From 2011 to 2013, the unit value continued to rise with an increasing growth rate. During this period exports to China reached their maximum with a share of 34% in 2012. 2013, when the unit value of machine tools increased by 20% from € 82,800 to € 99,600, the export ratio to China fell from its peak value of 34% to 25%. However, exports of machine tools to the USA and the EU could be increased during this period.

Value per machine tool in euro from 2008 to 2022.

In the years 2016 to 2019, the average value is around €100,000 per machine tool. The export ratio of machine tools to China decreases from 20% to 19% during this time. Exports to the EU increase from 42% to 44%. To the USA, the export quota remains at 11% during this time.


From 2020 to 2022, the average value drops to €96,177 per machine tool in 2022, down 11.8% from the peak in 2018. Production and sales of machine tools collapse in 2020 like industrial production in Germany and other industrialized countries.

 


1 The official statistics determines value as production, evaluated to selling prices without value added tax. So the difference to the turnover lies mainly in changes of inventories, i.e. value may be understood as turnover with good approximation.