In August 2020, real cutting tool orders were $136.1 million, which was the lowest order total since orders began to be reported in January 2012. Compared with one year ago, cutting tool orders contracted -34.1%, which was the 18^th consecutive month of month-over-month contraction. August was the fourth time in five months with a month-over-month rate of contraction faster than 30%.

The annual rate of change contracted at an accelerating rate for the 11^th month. The annual rate of contraction was 17.9%, which was the fastest rate of annual contraction since the data was made public. At the beginning of 2020, the Gardner Business Index: Metalworking indicated that the annual rate of contraction in cutting tool orders would bottom out in the summer of 2020. However, the pandemic accelerated the contraction in metalworking and extended the accelerating contraction in cutting tool orders.

The GBI: Metalworking is a good leading indicator of cutting tool orders and leads cutting tool orders by seven to 10 months. In August, the month-over-month rate of change in the index grew at an accelerating rate for the second straight month. Also, the annual rate of change in the Index has contracted for 18 straight months but the rate of contraction decelerated for the third month in a row. The GBI: Metalworking seemed to bottom in June indicating that the rate of change in cutting tool orders should bottom in the first quarter of 2021.