The Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) has analysed the export/import data for three parts of its sector covering machine tools, cutting tools and tool/work-holding equipment.

Acording to Geoff Noon, MTA Statistician: “At first glance 2007 was a mixed year for international trade in the manufacturing technology sector trends were complicated by some large “one-off” trade especially in machine tool imports and exports of tool/work-holding equipment (in 2006) and by some changes in the machine tool manufacturing base.

Analysing these issues, we believe that the strong growth in exports of machine tools to Europe supports our view that the engineering sector there, and particularly in Germany, remains a very positive influence on the business levels being experienced by our members and their customers. The prospects for 2008 still appear to be positive for the engineering sector, led by both direct and indirect export demand from Europe, despite the problems in some other parts of the economy”.