Japanese Machine Tool Orders Rise 24% in February

On March 10th, the Japan Machine Tool Builders’ Association (JMTBA) announced that its machine tool orders for February totaled 146.7 billion yen, a 24% increase year-on-year. This marks the eighth consecutive month of growth. JMTBA stated, “Although it coincided with the Chinese New Year holiday, sales to overseas markets remained strong.”

Overseas orders increased by 30%, reaching 109.5 billion yen. While China, Tsugami’s main market, was affected by the long Chinese New Year holiday, orders for automotive, data center cooling equipment, and smartphones saw significant growth. Makino Milling Machine Manufacturing Co., Ltd. saw growth in automotive-related orders in China and India, as well as in aerospace orders in North America.

Domestic orders increased by 10%, reaching 37.2 billion yen. Shibaura Machinery reported growth in energy-related machine tools such as those for gas turbines and large aerospace applications. Okuma’s orders remained flat in February due to a price adjustment in April 2025 and a decline in demand driven by last-minute rush to buy, but orders in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment sector remained strong.