THE MICROTECHNOLOGY INFORMATION PORTAL | THE SHOW
09.06.2026
J - Service companies
Economic recovery remains fragile amid persistent structural pressures
Following the conclusion of the General Assembly of CECIMO – the European Association of Manufacturing Technologies – held today in Basel, we are pleased to summarize the official press release on the current economic situation of the European machine tool sector and the outlook for 2026.
Key highlights from the release include:
- Production decline: European machine tool production is estimated to have fallen by around 6.6% in 2025, reaching €23.5 billion, showing that the slowdown has not yet eased.
- Global position: Europe’s share of world machine tool production dropped to around 30.8% in 2025, compared with 33.4% in 2023.
- Market and trade trends: European machine tool consumption declined by 3.7% in 2025, while exports fell by 8.8% and imports by 4.2%. The USA, China and India remained among the main export destinations outside Europe, while Japan, China and South Korea were the most significant suppliers to the European market.
- Orders: Domestic orders across the CECIMO 8 countries declined by 1.7% in 2025, marking the third consecutive year of contraction. Foreign orders increased by 1.2%, the first year of growth after two years of decline.
- 2026 outlook: CECIMO projections point to a modest improvement in production, consumption and total orders in 2026. However, the outlook remains fragile and should be seen as a transition phase rather than a full recovery.
- Strategic risks: The sector remains exposed to geopolitical tensions, trade risks, possible tariff measures, energy market volatility and weak investment dynamics. At the same time, demand may be supported by strategic sectors such as defence, aerospace, electrification, AI-related technologies and advanced engineering.