Machine Tool Orders Up 17.4% In Dec.

The Japan Machine Tool Builders Association released that machine tool orders rose for the 25th straight month in December, increasing 17.4% on the year. Domestic demand was up 12.2% while foreign demand was up 19.9%. For all of 2011, they reached 1.32 trillion yen, up 35.5% from a year earlier. It is the first time in the last 3 years to top 1.3 trillion.