February 2025 U.S. Cutting Tool Orders Total $198.6 Million

U.S. cutting tool shipments totaled $198.6 million in February 2025, according to the latest Cutting Tool Market Report compiled by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology and the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI). This figure represents a 0.7% decrease compared to January 2025 and a 9.2% drop from February 2024.

Year-to-date shipments through February reached $398.4 million, down 6.7% compared to the same period last year.

"Orders for cutting tools in the United States continue to lag behind the numbers posted in 2024," said Steve Boyer, president of USCTI. He noted that significant declines in year-over-year totals suggest a lack of confidence in the current market environment. Boyer pointed to uncertainty around new tariff policies as a contributing factor, stating that any initial optimism for 2025 may be delayed until the full impact of these tariffs becomes clear.

Tom Haag, president of Kyocera SGS Precision Tool, also addressed the slowdown, stating that manufacturing confidence has been impacted by ongoing tariff concerns. "The calendar year has not kicked off well, considering the reported numbers through February, and we expect March numbers to reflect a further decline," Haag said. He explained that while manufacturing activity had initially shown signs of recovery early in the year, tariff speculation has tempered demand.

The Cutting Tool Market Report is a joint effort between AMT and USCTI. It provides a monthly measure of U.S. manufacturers' consumption of cutting tools—key consumables in the production process. Cutting tool consumption is considered a leading indicator of U.S. manufacturing activity trends.