Chinese equipment manufacturers have pressed the "fast forward button" to resume production in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, according to national trade association the CCMA (China Construction Machinery Industry Association).
Chinese excavator manufacturers sold a total of 49,408 products in March 2020, an increase of 11.6% year-on-year according to CCMA data. Domestic market sales accounted for 46,610 units in March, a year-on-year increase of 11.2%. Meanwhile, export sales were 2,798 units, a year-on-year increase of 17.7%.
Chinese manufacturers sold a total of 68,630 excavation machinery products from January to March (Q1) this year, a year-on-year decrease of 8.2% which was mainly attributable to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Domestic sales have been harder hit than exports. According to CCMA data, 61,277 units were sold in the domestic market in Q1, a year-on-year decrease of 11.6%. Export sales in Q1 increased to 7,353 units, a year-on-year rise of 34.9%.
China's health authority the National Health Commission claims that coronavirus-related deaths on the Chinese mainland have fallen sharply in the last few weeks.
The CCMA says that since February major Chinese OEMs have come to terms with epidemic prevention and control, and have also stabilised production. "They have opened online platforms, opened offline channels, and opened orders with full horsepower," the CCMA said in a statement.
It added that state-owned heavy machinery manufacturer XCMG has returned to 100% production levels for the first time since the pandemic took hold in China in late 2019/early 2020.
Among the OEMs included in the CCMA data are XCMG, SANY, Zoomlion, Liugong, Shandong Lingong, Shantui, Shanhe Intelligence, SINOMACH, Xiamen Engineering, CRCC, China Railway Equipment, Northern Stock, Tongli Heavy Industry, Reesa Heavy Machinery, Singbang Heavy Industry.
