U.S. MACHINE TOOL ORDERS FELL 1.1 PCT IN FEB
U.S. machine tool orders fell 1.1
pct in February to 145.1 mln dlrs from a revised 146.7 mln dlrs
in January, the National Machine Tool Builders Association
said.
    Last month the association reported the January total tool
orders at 147.8 mln dlrs.
    In its monthly statistical report, the tool industry trade
association also said that February orders were off 31.0 pct
from orders of 210.4 mln dlrs in February last year.
    The association said metal-forming tool orders fell 13.3
pct last month to 41.4 mln dlrs from a revised 47.7 mln dlrs in
January, and were off 1.1 pct from 41.8 mln dlrs in February
1986. Metal-cutting tool orders totaled 103.8 mln dlrs in
February, up 4.9 pct from a revised 99.0 mln dlrs in January
and 38.5 pct below the 168.6 mln dlrs in new orders for
February 1986.
    The association said the backlog of orders in February was
1,210.7 mln dlrs, up 0.6 pct from the revised January backlog
of 1,203.3 and 29.2 pct below the backlog in February last
year.
    The association said total shipments of machine tools fell
6.8 pct last month to 137.7 mln dlrs from a revised 147.7 mln
dlrs in January and were off 32.1 pct from the 202.7 mln dlrs
in orders in February last year.
    Last month the association reported the January total
shipments of machine tools at 148.3 mln dlrs.
 Reuter
