Machine Tools, Robots and Automation Systems: USA as the main and driving market worldwide

The 2023 final data at world trade level, available in the ExportPlanning Information System, allow to document the centrality of the US market for global exports of Machine tools, Robots and Automation systems¹: with 6.3 billion euros (equal to 15.9 percent of the total), last year the USA overtook China (5.9 Bn €) as the main destination for global sales in the sector.

Furthermore, the 2023 final data documents the predominance of the US market for global exports of high and medium/high price ranges of Machine tools, Robots and Automation systems, such as highlighted by the graph below, which signals the strong detachment of the US market (4.6 billion euros of premium-price imports in 2023) compared to the Chinese market.

Last but not least, with a cumulative growth of over 1.1 billion euros, in the period 2020-2023 the United States was the first market for absolute increases in imports of Machine tools, Robots and Automation systems, preceding Turkey².

The United States, 1st market for total flows and premium-price, driving global demand for machine tools in the period 2020-2023. Which are the American states with the highest potential?

The application of the analysis model of the ExportPlanning Market Selection tool to trade data available at the level of American States can allow to build a ranking of potential for exports of Machine tools, Robots and Automation systems.

In particular, for the purposes of this analysis, the following potential indicators were considered for the "F4.32-Metalworking machine tools" sector of the ExportPlanning classification and for the various American States:

• value of imports 2023: indicates the relevance of the market;
• change in imports in the period 2020-2023 in value: indicates the growth capacity (measured in absolute terms) of the market;
• change in imports in the period 2020-2023 as a percentage: indicates the growth capacity (measured in relative terms) of the market.

In the analysis process of the Market Selection model, the aforementioned indicators were normalized, on a scale of 0-100, in order to contribute to the calculation of a synthetic indicator of potential³.

Export of Machine tools, Robots and Automation systems:
ranking of potential at the level of American States

The application of the Market Selection model
to the foreign trade data of the American states
highlights Michigan, Texas and California
at the top of the ranking of potential
for the export of Machine Tools, Robots and Automation Systems

Metalworking Machine Tools: High Potential American States

Michigan

The Michigan market, in second place overall in terms of the value of 2023 imports of Machine Tools, Robots and Automation Systems (with approximately 927 million euros), was characterized by a growth rate in the period 2020- 2023 particularly dynamic: CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) equal to +31.1%, for an overall increase of over 613 million euros.

Japan (with a 2023 share of 45.6 percent), Germany (2023 share of 14.9%) and Italy (2023 share of 13.5%) are the main partner countries in the market.

Texas

The Texas market, in fifth place in terms of value of 2023 imports of Machine Tools, Robots and Automation Systems (with over 347 million euros), was characterized by a dynamic growth rate in the period 2020- 2023: CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) equal to +19.4%, for an overall increase of over 176 million euros.

Germany (with a 2023 share of 18.2 percent) and Mexico (14.9%) are the main partner countries of the market, preceding - in order - China, Canada, Italy, Sweden and South Korea.

California

The California market, in first place overall for the value of 2023 imports of Machine Tools, Robots and Automation Systems (with over 973 million euros), was characterized in the period 2020-2023 by a pace of growth below two percentage figures: CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) equal to +8.8%, for an overall increase close to 280 million euros.

Japan (with a 2023 share of 34 percent), South Korea (18%), Germany (16.7%) and < b>Taiwan (12.1%) are the main partner countries on the market.

North Carolina

The North Carolina market, in third place overall in terms of the value of 2023 imports of Machine Tools, Robots and Automation Systems (with approximately 514 million euros), was characterized in the 2020-2023 period by a of growth close to double percentage figures: CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) equal to +9.7%, for an overall increase close to 160 million euros.

Japan (with a 2023 share of 69.6 percent) is by far the main partner country on the market, preceding - in order - Germany (7.8%), Taiwan (4.3%) and Italy (3.3%).

Georgia

The Georgia market, in seventh place in terms of value of 2023 imports of Machine Tools, Robots and Automation Systems (with approximately 242 million euros), was characterized in the period 2020-2023 by a growth rate particularly dynamic: CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) equal to +25.5%, for an overall increase of more than 144 million euros.

South Korea (with a 2023 share of 50.2 percent) is by far the main partner country in the market, ahead of Japan (15.2%).

Virginia

The Virginia market, in tenth place overall in terms of the value of 2023 imports of Machine Tools, Robots and Automation Systems (with almost 220 million euros), was characterized in the period 2020-2023 by growth dynamics favorable: CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) equal to +14.5%, for an overall increase of more than 91 million euros.

Japan (with a 2023 share of 79.8 percent) is by far the main partner country on the market, preceding - in order - Germany (3.7%) and Italy (3.5%).

Kentucky

The Kentucky market, in sixth place overall in terms of the value of 2023 imports of Machine Tools, Robots and Automation Systems (with 258 million euros), was however characterized in the period 2020-2023 by a pace of growth below the average: CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) equal to +4.7%, for an overall increase of just over 43 million euros.

Japan (with a 2023 share of 74.5 percent) is largely the market leader, ahead of Germany, Canada, Mexico and Italy.

Minnesota

The Minnesota market, only in nineteenth place in terms of value of 2023 imports of Machine Tools, Robots and Automation Systems (with 78.5 million euros), was however characterized in the period 2020-2023 by a pace of particularly accelerated growth: CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) equal to +18.6%, for an overall increase close to 40 million euros.

Japan (with a 2023 share of 37.5 percent) is the market leader, ahead of Germany (13.7%).

Conclusions

The analysis of global sales of Machine Tools, Robots and Automation Systems highlights the centrality of the US market: the first world market for total imports and for high and medium/high price range imports, it offered the most positive contributions to the growth of global sales in the sector in the period 2020-2023.

The analysis of imports from American States, which can be broken down by partner country, can allow to document the territories of the US market that have the greatest potential for sales of Machine Tools, Robots and Automation Systems.

---

1) See the list of products included in this analysis in the following table.
2) Note how, behind United States and Turkey (+1.1 billion euros), the main markets for absolute increases in imports 2020-2023 of Machine Tools, Robots and Automation Systems - in order Russia, Italy, Netherlands and Saudi Arabia - stopped below half a billion of euros.
3) The index of potential was calculated as the weighted average of the scores associated with the indicators considered, with the following weighting scheme:

• value of imports 2023: 50%;
• change in imports in the period 2020-2023 in value: 30%;
• change in imports in the period 2020-2023 in percentage: 20%.