American exports of construction equipment and machinery totaled $4.2 billion for the first half of 2004, a 19 percent increase compared to the first half of 2003, according to data the Association of Equipment Manufacturers released.
All major world regions bought more equipment from January to June 2004 than during the same time period last year, with Australia and South America experiencing the most significant increases in imports. South America purchased $500 million worth of construction equipment, a 61 percent increase over its purchases during the first half of last year. American machinery exports to Australia totaled $395 million for the period, a 71 percent increase over 2003. Construction equipment exports to Central America totaled $386 million, a 16 percent rise from 2003, and Canada imported $1.46 billion of American-made equipment, an increase of 11 percent for the first half of the year. Exports to Africa increased by 25 percent and to Asia by 13 percent.
The only region that did not show significant increases in American equipment imports was Europe, which purchased $725 million in machinery — a 3 percent increase.
The top 10 importers of American-made construction equipment for the first half of 2004 were Canada, Australia, Mexico, Belgium, Chile, Brazil, Germany, China, the United Kingdom and South Africa.
