Shipments of cutting tools, measured by the Cutting Tool Market Report, a collaboration between AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology and the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI), totaled $239.8 million in May 2026. The value of shipments decreased 7.4% from April 2026 but was up 15.2% from May 2025. Year-to-date shipments totaled $1.2 billion, up 16.8% from the same period in 2025. The number of units shipped decreased for the second consecutive month after rising in February and March.
“Shipments dipped in May compared to the previous two months, which were very high and broke records, but were still very strong in nearly all categories reported,” said Jack Burley, chairman of AMT’s Cutting Tool Product Group and president of Big Daishowa, a cutting tool manufacturer. “Carbide-based tools, such as drills and end mills, showed some noticeable increases in cost per unit – a clear indication that the carbide crisis, due to the lack of raw material, has increased costs for users. The demand on the metal cutting industry to increase output has strained the already scarce supply of tungsten. I don’t think we have reached the peak of higher prices for new tools yet, and this may be the right time for users to evaluate their efficiency and improve tool life.”
Eli Lustgarten, president of ESL Consultants, said: “Shipments of cutting tools kept their robust upward trend in May, though it was driven by cost, reflecting material pricing and supply issues in the industry. Manufacturing activity continues to show strength, with a favorable outlook for machined-part demand among construction machinery, defense, and aerospace manufacturers. While inflation is still running hot, recent soft jobs data and falling oil prices will hopefully provide enough cushion for the Federal Reserve to keep rates steady. The U.S. economic and manufacturing outlook for the second half of 2026 looks to continue to improve, barring any geopolitical shocks.”
The Cutting Tool Market Report is jointly compiled by AMT and USCTI, two trade associations representing the development, production, and distribution of cutting tool technology and products. It provides a monthly statement on U.S. manufacturers’ consumption of the primary consumable in the manufacturing process, the cutting tool. Analysis of cutting tool consumption is a leading indicator of both upturns and downturns in U.S. manufacturing activity, as it is a true measure of actual production levels.
