Yet more hopes postponed as sales of US-made robots fell 32% to $298.8m last year, but the industry retains its optimism and, having pared costs to the bone, looks for a rebound this year: the industry is particularly cheered by the fact that car manufacturers, traditionally overwhelmingly the largest users of robots, are increasingly being joined by other industries makers of electronics, farm equipment, heavy machinery; the US Commerce Department also reports that imports to the US were up for the third straight year last year, hitting $191.9m, but this is largely put down to Japanese companies establishing plants in the US and bringing their robots with them.
