KHL: Global construction equipment market down 16.2%; Cat retains no. 1 spot

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Updated Apr 2, 2016
Caterpillar retained it’s no. 1 spot atop KHL’s 2016 Yellow Table with 18.1 percent of total construction equipment revenues. Photo credit: Wayne GraysonCaterpillar retained it’s no. 1 spot atop KHL’s 2016 Yellow Table with 18.1 percent of total construction equipment revenues. Photo credit: Wayne Grayson

Construction manufacturers across the globe have taken a hit this past year, reports European construction publisher KHL in its releasing its annual Yellow Table.

Revenues for the world’s largest construction equipment manufacturers dropped 16.2 percent to $133 billion. KHL says these are the lowest revenues reported in the table since 2009, when the industry saw sales fall to $109 billion during the Great Recession. It is also the sharpest year-over-year fall in revenues since that time.

“The most striking impact of this market trend was seen among China’s largest construction equipment manufacturers,” says KHL in a release today. All Chinese companies fell in the rankings compared to a year ago, and Shantui experienced the largest drop, falling seven places to No. 38. Liugong, another Chinese manufacturer, slipped six places to No. 22.

Among the table’s top 10, No. 9 XCMG was the only Chinese manufacturer to remain. Sany dropped out of the top 10, and JCB moved up into the elite group, its first presence there since the 2008 Yellow Table. Doosan Infracore also moved up to No. 8.

Caterpillar, at 18.1 percent, and Komatsu, at 10.5 percent, held on to their respective No. 1 and No. 2 positions. There was much more movement in the remaining top 10 positions, with Terex displacing Hitachi as No. 3 and Liebherr overtaking Volvo to capture No. 4. KHL points out, however, “there’s not much difference in revenue terms between Terex, Hitachi, Liebherr, Volvo and John Deere, which occupy positions No. 3 through No. 7. It’s fairly common to see them shuffle about like this.”

The full Yellow Table will be published in the April issue of International Construction.

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