The world market for loader cranes is expected to decline by 9.4% this year. However, a new study by Interconnection Consulting expects a fast recovery of the industry. The market volume is expected to return to pre-crisis levels in 2023.

The market for loader cranes is very dependent on the GDP in the individual countries as well as on the construction industry. The picture is heterogeneous in the individual regions of the world. While the US and Europe have seen strong growth in residential construction in recent years, Japan and Australia have seen a negative development in this sector. Other countries, such as China or Brazil, have increased their output, especially in the non-residential construction sector. Overall, the construction projects worldwide caused the market for loader cranes to grow by an average of 2.3 annually between 2016 and 2019. The largest market for loader cranes is Europe with a share of 30.2%, ahead of the USA with 21.1% and China with 17.4%. Like many other regions, the European market is expected to shrink this year in the double-digit range, as are China (-11.3%), Australia and Japan. The US is doing slightly better, with an expected decline of less than seven percent.

Different Speeds

The post-crisis renaissance of the European market will take place in different regions at different speeds. Germany will recover fastest. By 2023, the market volume there will already have reached a significantly higher level than before the crisis. In France, however, the catching-up process will take longer. Between 2020 and 2023 the market there will decline by -3.1% per year on average.

Kuckle Booms Dominate

Kuckle booms are the dominant product group with a market share of 85.8%. The other two important product groups are recycling cranes with a market share of 7.6% and timber cranes. On top of their dominance, the kuckle boom cranes are also the product group with the highest growth rate. Kuckle boom cranes are set to grow by 2.8% per year in value until 2023. The boom for this segment can be seen all over the world. Th sales share of this product is above 80 percent in all regions of the world. Cranes with a height of 10-20 metres are the strongest segment with a sales volume of 36.5%. This height is even more dominant  in China than in most other regions of the world, where this segment accounts for almost three quarters of all cranes. By comparison, the share of this segment in Europe is only 22.8%, holding the third place. Here, cranes up to a height of 10 metres hold first place with around a third of sales.

Copyright: Interconnection, Publication free of charge for coverage regarding the study and InterConnection Consulting.