Italian construction machine market growing

A slow but steady improvement in machine sales is being observed in Italy as the market recovers. Over the first three months of 2016, 1,977 construction machines have been sold into the Italian market, according to the country’s construction equipment manufacturing association, the UNACEA. This gain in sales represents an increase of 29% compared to the same period in 2015. The sales were for 1,879 earthmoving machines and 76 road machines.
May 4, 2016 Read time: 2 mins

A slow but steady improvement in machine sales is being observed in Italy as the market recovers. Over the first three months of 2016, 1,977 construction machines have been sold into the Italian market, according to the country’s construction equipment manufacturing association, the 2539 UNACEA. This gain in sales represents an increase of 29% compared to the same period in 2015. The sales were for 1,879 earthmoving machines and 76 road machines.

“The growth recorded in the first quarter confirms the observation made last year, the Italian market seems to have chosen the recovery path,” said 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 for construction. Finally, we demand a radical change of the outlooks of our industry made by the credit system, that continue to consider in a conservative way companies in the sector of construction industry”.

Less optimistic is that construction machine exports in January 2016 were €135 million, a drop of 11.6% compared to the performance for the same period in 2015.

The export of road equipment increased by 12%, while exports of tower cranes dropped by just 0.2%. However negative trends were seen for sales of other construction machine types. Exports of crushing and screening equipment fell 31.5%, while exports of earthmoving machines and attachments dropped 8.6%, concrete equipment by 7% and drilling equipment by 4%. A positive note for the Italian construction market overall was that imports of machines climbed 2.7%, although the trade balance decreased by 15.5% but maintained a surplus of more than €98 million.

Finance & Funding

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Italian machine sales solidifying
    July 26, 2016
    Sales of construction machines have been improving in Italy. Data from the Italian equipment manufacturing association, UNACEA, shows how the market picked up during the first six months of 2016. The report reveals how sales in the Italian market rose 22% compared to the same period of 2015. The UNACEA quarterly study shows that 4,723 construction machines were sold during the first six months of 2016, including 4,617 earthmoving machines and 106 road machines. Compared with the same period for 2015, this e
    Read More
  • Italy seeing growth in construction machine sales
    February 3, 2016
    The Italian manufacturers of construction machines are seeing positive developments in market demand for off highway equipment. In 2015, construction equipment sales in the Italian market increased by 34% to 9,138 units, compared to the previous year. The sales results show that 8,813 earthmoving machines were sold, a growth of 32%, while 325 road machines were sold, a growth of 180%.
    Read More
  • Italian construction machine firms see resurgence
    July 25, 2017
    The Italian construction machinery builders association, UNACEA, reports a resurgence in demand for equipment during 2017. According to UNACEA’s latest report, the first six months of 2017 have seen 5,109 machines sold in the Italian market, an increase of 6% compared to last year. Looking more closely, sales of earthmoving machines grew 6% with 4,910 machines sold, while sales of road equipment increased by 9% with 199 machines sold.
    Read More
  • Healthy growth for Italian equipment market in 2017, notes Unacea
    January 31, 2018
    Italy saw sales of earth moving machinery climb 15% last year over that for 2016, according to Unacea, the Italian equipment association. In 2017, 12,275 earth moving machines were sold, up 15% on a year-on-year basis, while road equipment grew by 5%, with 491 units. Total sales were 12,766.
    Read More

Highlighted Content