Germany celebrates record construction equipment sales

German construction equipment manufacturer association VDMA has reported that its members posted, as a combined total, a 15% increase in sales to €9.9 billion ($11 billion) for 2005. The figure, which is a record, was driven by exports, which contributed to around 75% of the total. The biggest buyer of German equipment was the US, followed by Western Europe and China. On the domestic front a 6% rise in construction equipment sales, to €2.5 billion ($3 billion) was reported.

Looking ahead to 2006, VDMA forecasts a 3% increase in German sales and a 10% rise in exports. The double-digit rise in international sales will be fueled by growth in the Middle East, Russia, China and India, VDMA said. VDMA president Dr. Christof Kemmann said that the growth in exports was “extraordinary.”