The United States Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) predicts that sales of cemented carbide tools in the US will increase in 2007, while sales of high-speed Steel Tools will decline. According to a report released by USCTI in mid-December 2006, sales of cemented carbide tools are expected to increase by 4.9% in 2007, while sales of high-speed steel tools will decrease by 6%. This forecast was based on data submitted by 80 member companies of USCTI. In the past two years, USCTI member companies' cemented carbide tool sales have continued to climb, and the association expects that the upward trend in 2007 will slow down, but will continue to grow until 2009 (see Table 1). In the past nine years, sales of high-speed steel tools have been slowly spiraling down, and this trend is expected to continue until 2009 (see Table 2). Table 1 USCTI member companies' annual sales of cemented carbide tools Table 2 Sales of high-speed steel cutters by USCTI member companies over the years Transformer,Electrical Steel,Ring Core Comat Metal Products Co., Ltd. , http://www.china-tinplate.com
Year - Sales (US$10,000) - Annual Change
2004-83762.5 (actual value) - +20.8%
2005-88393 (actual value) - +5.5%
2006-93308 (predicted value) - +5.6%
2007-97890 (predicted value) - +4.9%
2008-110190 (predicted value) - 12.6%
2009-123970 (predicted value) - +12.5%
Year - Sales (US$10,000) - Annual Change
2004-38267.3 (actual value) - +2.1%
2005-33844.6 (actual value) - -11.6%
2006-34572.1 (predicted value) - +2.1%
2007-32482 (predicted value) - 6.0%
2008-32450 (predicted value) - 0.1%
2009-33080 (predicted value) - +1.9%