(AMT: McLean, VA) -- United States manufacturing technology consumption (USMTC) totaled $97.04 million for April, according to The Association For Manufacturing Technology (AMT) and the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association (AMTDA). This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTC program, was down 41.5 percent from March and down 77.7 percent from the $435.34 million reported for April 2008. With a year-to-date total of only $497.40 million, 2009 is down 70.7 percent compared with 2008's total of $1.7 billion.

These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the USMTC program.

“Industry executives have speculated whether we have reached the bottom of this current economic downturn,” says Douglas K. Woods, AMT president. “The 41 percent drop in April orders from March levels and the Chapter 11 filings of GM and Chrysler eliminated any doubt that we still have a couple of rough months ahead. Accessible credit is the key to a viable manufacturing technology industry surviving this recession. Congress has provided the loan guarantees but they need to change the criteria for making loans before their efforts will result in cash flowing back into the system.”

 …