In the first quarter of 2014, the export value of China's metal processing machine tools was US$670 million, down 0.6% year-on-year; the export volume was 1.63 million units, down 0.6% year-on-year; the average export price was US$413.4 per unit, which was flat year-on-year. Among them, 13,557 lathes, down 15.4% year-on-year, the average price increased by 18.3%; 7,103 milling machines, an increase of 3.8%, the average price increased by 4.8%.
The United States, Japan and India are the top three export markets for metalworking machines in China. In the first quarter, exports to the United States decreased by 43.6%, accounting for 9.5%; Japan increased by 53.7%, accounting for 7.4%; exports to India increased by 12.1%, accounting for 6.2%.
Japan, the United States and Germany rank among the top three in the lathe export market. In the first quarter, the export of lathes to Japan was US$27,735,900, an increase of 85.5% year-on-year, accounting for an increase of 14.5% from 14.7%; exports to the US were US$8.557 million, a decrease of 8.2%, accounting for 9.8% from 9.5%; Germany's exports were US$6.412 million, a decrease of 11.7%, and the proportion fell to 6.7%.
The United States, Germany and India are the top three exporters of milling machines. In the first quarter, exports to the United States were 2.268 million U.S. dollars, down 3.6% year-on-year, accounting for 11.6% of the market; exports to Germany were 2,187,200 U.S. dollars, up 25.7% year-on-year, accounting for 11.2%; exports to India were 1,131,400 U.S. dollars. The growth rate was 98.5%, and the proportion increased to 6.7%.
From the perspective of lathes and milling machines, the decline in the RMB exchange rate did not drive exports, indicating that foreign demand for Chinese machine tools was limited; but the increase in the average price of exports in US dollars, the increase in lathe exports to Japan, and the increase in exports of milling machines to Germany all indicated that China The competitiveness of machine tool exports is gradually increasing.