ASEAN Becomes China's Machine Tool Export Star Region

Li Jingming, deputy secretary-general of the China Machine Tool & Tooling Industry Association, said: “The lack of demand in the domestic market has led more companies to shift their business focus to the international market. The recovery of equipment demand in Europe and the United States has returned to the equipment manufacturing industry’s industrial policy and eased the pressure on employment. And so on, it has become a factor in pulling the export of China's machine tools."

In 2012, the export of China's machine tool products reached US$9.24 billion, an increase of 3.8% year-on-year; the export value of metal processing machine tools was US$2.74 billion, up 13.4% year-on-year, of which CNC machine tools were US$1.07 billion, up 19.8% year-on-year.

In 2012, China’s export market for metal processing machine tools, except for Brazil’s negative growth due to domestic economic factors leading to China’s exports to Brazil, showed a certain growth trend in traditional markets such as the United States, Japan, and Germany, as well as emerging markets such as India and Russia. The U.S. market was particularly prominent, up 59.2% year-on-year.

What needs to be noticed is that in 2012, the export growth rate of China's machine tools to Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia reached 61.7%, 25.8%, and 10.1%, respectively. This is in line with the recent trend that some labor-intensive industries are shifting to neighboring countries. Consistent, but also with the establishment of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, it is worth our attention to the machine tool companies.