US construction machine exports remain low

According to the US-based Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), exports of machines from the US remain at a low level. The AEM’s analysis shows that exports of US-made construction equipment were down 24% overall at midyear 2016 compared to the first half of 2015. In all machines worth US$5.65 billion were shipped to global markets.
September 1, 2016 Read time: 2 mins

According to the US-based 1100 Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), exports of machines from the US remain at a low level. The AEM’s analysis shows that exports of US-made construction equipment were down 24% overall at midyear 2016 compared to the first half of 2015. In all machines worth US$5.65 billion were shipped to global markets.

Europe was the sole region with to see a gain in sales, increasing 2%. South America and Africa led the double-digit declines, according to the AEM report, citing US Department of Commerce data.

For the January-June 2016 period, US construction equipment exports to Canada dropped 23% compared with the same period in 2015, reaching a total turnover of $2.4 billion. Sales to Europe gained 2% compared with the previous year, reaching a total of $898 million. Sales to Central America fell 7% for the first half of 2016 when compared with 2015, reaching a total of $696 million. Sales to Asia decreased 28% for this time period, reaching a total of $664 million. Sales to South America plummeted 49% for the first half of 2016 compared with 2015, delivering a total sales value of $504 million. The US machine sales in Australia/Oceania fell 30% to $294 million while sales to Africa dropped 43% to $220 million.

“For the past 14 quarters, US exports of construction equipment have declined year over year and at the midpoint in 2016, that trend remains unchanged,” said AEM’s Benjamin Duyck, director of market intelligence. “With the global economic malaise, the slowdown in emerging markets and the negative interest rates in several economies’ bond markets, investment is flowing to the US and US stocks, driving up demand for the US dollar, inadvertently affecting our competitiveness abroad.”

The top countries buying the most US-made construction machinery during the first half of 2016 Canada with $2.4 billion (down 23%), Mexico at $561 million (down 7%) and Australia at $273 million (down 29%). Next came Belgium at $204 million and up 39% and Germany at $148 million and up 32%.

Finance & Funding

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • US sees decline in construction machine exports
    December 4, 2015
    Exports of US construction equipment are still in decline according to the latest Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) market update. The AEM report shows that exports of US-made construction equipment dropped 17.6% for the first three quarters of 2015 compared to January-September 2014, for a total $10.8 billion shipped worldwide.
    Read More
  • AEM voices concern over lower machine exports
    September 8, 2014
    The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) says that US construction machinery exports dropped 17.3% during the first half of 2014 compared with the same period for 2013. In all some US$8.93 billion in exports were shipped to global markets compared to $10.8 billion for first-half of 2013, according to US Department of Commerce data. The AEM off-road equipment manufacturing trade group produces global trends reports using US Commerce Dept. information to assist members’ business planning.
    Read More
  • AEM: U.S. construction machinery exports down 21% in H1 2013
    August 20, 2013
    The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) U.S. say construction machinery exports dropped 21% during the first half of 2013, with US$10.8 billion shipped to global markets compared to $13.7 billion in H1 2012. The AEM report that nearly all world regions recorded double-digit declines, except Central America with a double-digit gain. Construction machinery exports to Europe in H1 2013, compared to H1 2012, declined 20% for a total $1.4 billion, with exports to Canada down 15% to a total value of $3.7
    Read More
  • US construction machinery exports gain 28%
    February 10, 2012
    The market for exports of US-made construction machinery closed out 2010 with a gain of more than 28% compared to the previous year, for a total of $16.4 billion dollars’ worth of equipment sold worldwide, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).
    Read More

Highlighted Content