
Looking at just the construction portion of these retail sales statistics, North American Cat dealers saw a 22 percent year-over-year rise. The biggest construction equipment gainer continues to be the Asia/Pacific region, which saw increases of 59 percent compared with the same period last year. Latin America, a powerhouse in December with 55 percent year-over-year gains, realized gains of 28 percent in January,

The sales are reported by geographic region for the three-month rolling period ending in January, compared with the same period last year.
Caterpillar says the information presented “based on unaudited reports that are voluntarily provided to Caterpillar by its independent dealers and which are not subject to Caterpillar’s internal controls over financial reporting,” and therefore “may not be accurate and/or complete.”
Cat says the information provides “an approximate indication of the trends, direction and magnitude of retail sales,” although it is separate from the company’s audited financial statements.