Sales of earthmoving machinery reported in Italy slid strongly into the red over the first nine months of the year. Traditional machinery, that is, dozers, excavators, graders, crawler and wheel loaders and wheel shovels showed a 29.6% drop in sales, backhoe loaders were off 28.2% and the compacts, mini-excavators, skidsteer loaders and crawlers, fell 26.2%. Also on the decrease were articulated dumpers and telescopic handlers by 31% and 11.3% respective to take the overall decline for earthmoving machinery to 26.2%. Steeper losses were disclosed for road construction machinery, rollers and vibratory compactors, which fell 47.2%. There was thus no reversal of the trend displayed in the first quarter, when earthmoving machine chalked up losses of 32.8% and road construction machinery was down 49.6%, which confirmed that the crisis is closely linked to events in the building construction sector and big public works still showing no sign of recovery. Though the Italian industry is in difficulty because of the domestic market trend these manufacturers can at least count on the recovery of exports which, encouraged by improvements in the global economy, are displaying substantial gains. According to National Statistics Institute foreign trade data, earthmoving machinery exports in the first seven months of the year climbed 57.2% within Europe with a total value of nearly € 347 million against some € 220 million in the same period in 2010. The greatest share was taken up by the European Union fifteen but exports were also on the increase to the new arrivals to the EU and other Eastern European countries. Compared to exports to the EU fifteen, where the average gain came to 55.8%, those to the newer EU member states and others in Eastern Europe rose 68.4% and 22.5%.
Reported for other countries around the world was a drop in exports to African and Asian countries, down 17.6% and 18.5%, balanced against great growth for the Americas, plus 71.7%, especially for exported to the United States which leaped 96% to a value of € 34.3 million.
Rome, November 2, 2011
Source: Unacoma
