Construction machinery and equipment: Italian market up in the first quarter

The growth recorded in the first quarter confirms the observation made last year, the Italian market seems to have chosen the recovery path – says Paolo Venturi, president of Unacea -. However, we are facing very low figures if compared with the pre-crisis level. The expectations and the climate of business confidence are advantageous, especially in the residential and infrastructural construction industry. The risk is that expectations will not be fulfilled, cancelling any benefit both for industry and market. This is the reason why we continue to ask the government for a greater intervention policy on the infrastructural development of the country. We continue to ask the local authorities the implementation of clear rules on the use of the more obsolete machines too often employed in the own public works. Finally, we demand a radical change of the outlooks of our industry made by the credit system, that continue to consider in a conservative or negative way companies in the sector of construction industry”.

 

Less optimistic the export trend that in January 2016 have reached € 135 million, with a loss of 11.6% compared to last year. In greater details, only the export of road equipment increases (+12%), stationary the export of tower cranes (-0.2%), while is negative the trend of the other product lines: crushing and screening equipment (-31.5%), earth moving machines and attachments (-8.6%), concrete equipment (-7%), drilling equipment (-4%). Import up 2.7% (€ 36.7 million) while the trade balance decreases by 15.5% but maintains a surplus of more than € 98 million.

 

CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY IN ITALY (units sold)
Reference period: January - March 2016
Construction machinery	2015	2016	%
Dozers	4	5
Crawler excavators	264	362	37%
Wheel excavators	19	28	47%
Wheel loaders	136	175	29%
AWS backhoe loaders	9	9	0
Rigid backhoe loaders	8	28	250%
Miniexcavators	905	1,091	21%
Skid steer loaders	84	132	57%
Compact track loaders	51	63	24%
Articulated dumpers	9	4	-56%
Total EARTH MOVING MACHINES	1.489	1.897	27%
Total CONCRETE EQUIPMENT	4	4
Compactors	21	45	114%
Finishers	28	31	11%
Total ROAD MACHINES	49	76	55%
Total CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT	1,538	1,977	29%

 

Source: Unacea - National Union of Construction Equipment & Attachments Companies

 

Founded in 2010, Unacea is the trade association open to all Italian construction machinery companies. It currently represent than 75% of turnover by the entire Italian earth moving and concrete machinery and equipment field.
Unacea is a member of CECE, the Committee for European Construction Equipment, which brings together national associations in 14 countries representing about 1,200 companies, for turnover of about 23 billion euros and 130 thousand direct employees.