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Italian construction equipment sales inch upwards, Unacea reports

In the first quarter of 2015, sales of construction equipment in the Italian market reached 1,605 units, a rise of 19% year on year. Sales of earthmoving machines were up 16% to 1,556 units and road machine sales jumped nearly 400% to 49 units. Paolo Venturi, president of Unacea, the Italian Construction Equipment Association, said the first quarter figures look promising and continue an upward trend that started last year. But there is still a long way to go because there has been an 80% loss of sales in
April 30, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
Italian manufacturers get pumped over sales trend
In the first quarter of 2015, sales of construction equipment in the Italian market reached 1,605 units, a rise of 19% year on year.

Sales of earthmoving machines were up 16% to 1,556 units and road machine sales jumped nearly 400% to 49 units.

Paolo Venturi, president of 2539 Unacea, the Italian Construction Equipment Association, said the first quarter figures look promising and continue an upward trend that started last year. But there is still a long way to go because there has been an 80% loss of sales in the past seven years.

Peak sales were in 2008, topping €5.216 billion. The Italian industry of construction equipment and attachments directly employs about 6,000 people, with related industries employing another 30,000.

He said Unacea will continue to call for greater action, especially by the government, to stimulate sales. The entire sector is waiting for the government’s three-years public works plan to be announced by the minister of infrastructure and transport Graziano Delrio.

In 2014, according to the data of the Italian institute of Statistics (Istat) processed by Unacea, export sales of construction equipment reported totaled €2,460 million, falling by 1% compared to 2013. The most significant decline was for drilling equipment, down 33%. But there were drops also for concrete equipment (-6%), road machineries (-4%) and earthmoving machines (-1%).

But exports were up for crushing and screening equipment (+19%) and tower cranes (+17%).

The value of imports rose by 25% year over year to €545 million.

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