Italian equipment growth

The Italian construction equipment market has seen solid growth in 2015 so far, according to figures released by Italian construction equipment machinery manufacturers association Unacea.

The market is up 33% for the first nine months of the year, compared with the same period in 2014, as a total of 5,946 products were sold in the Italian market.

This consisted of 5,705 earthmoving machines, which is 30% up from the same period last year, and 241 road machines, an increase of 217%.

Unacea said that figures from the Italian Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) show that exports grew 8%, with an increase in the export of tower cranes, road machines, drilling equipment, earth moving machines, and crushing and screening equipment.

Imports grew 27%, while the industry trade balance also grew 3%.

Paolo Venturi, president of Unacea, said, “The result of the third quarter confirms the recovery trend of the Italian market.

“However, it is a growth that starts from a very low basis, because of the drop of the market up to 80% between 2008 and 2013. The scenario is very fragile because we see a limited physiologic replacement of some machines really outdated.”

Venturi added, “To stabilise these positive signs and to meet national pressures, Unacea calls for a plan of action to secure the territory to the dangers of flooding”.