Building with Chinese equipment

The UK construction industry has been having a tough time over the last few years as housing budgets have been slashed and major building developments shelved. Smaller companies have been folding, unable to absorb the tiny profit margins, and larger industry stalwarts have been laying off staff and playing the waiting game.

Good news is on the way…

It seems there may be some good news on the horizon. After the financial crisis suffered by much of Europe and America, figures are now beginning to suggest things are picking up again. In the UK alone house prices are climbing and mortgage approvals are on the rise. The indications are that people are starting to relax a little about the financial landscape and look towards the future with far more optimism.

The powerhouse of China

One country that has been doing well up until relatively recently is China. With its massive economy the state of China’s financial health is always going to have an influence on the economies of the rest of the world. The giant China powerhouses of industry and commerce have been experiencing a slowdown in demand, yet production and output from a skilled and efficient workforce has continued. This has resulted in high numbers of products with no buyers at the end of the line. China has a glut of products in many areas, one of which includes the plant machinery sector.

China has great equipment for building projects

Excess supply of products

Of course where there is a glut of products on the market, this plays into the hands of anyone on the lookout for such items. Following the slowdown in road building, mining and construction programmes in China, the demand for excavation equipment has dropped through the floor. Earth moving machinery takes up a lot of storage space and it is estimated that in 2012 China’s capacity for producing excavators was 600,000 units annually. Faced with global demand of only 300,000 units – you can work out the maths yourself. There must be some great deals to be struck with Chinese excavator manufacturers, but how on earth would you go about opening up such negotiations? The idea of dealing with a company so far away that don’t speak English and who you know nothing about, have no history or business relationship with – it all sounds risky and far too much like hard work.

Specialist import advice

This is where you need to employ the expertise of specialised companies who regularly import Chinese heavy machinery into the UK and many other global destinations such as emerging African markets and Brazil. Such businesses are able to negotiate a good price on machinery and will carry out all the communication, sourcing of suppliers from China and management throughout the whole process. But what about parts and after sales help? All this can also be taken care of by companies that source goods from China in this way.

Equipment which can be sourced from China

So what kind of equipment can be sourced from China? Pretty much anything to do with construction including excavators, graders, mobile drilling rigs, truck mounted cement pumps, cranes, constructionlifts, bulldozers, trailers and trucks. With infrastructure projects such as road building also slowing down in China, some great deals can be secured on bitumen machinery, rollers and pavers too. If you are looking to re-kit your construction company, or just to replace some of the older machinery, then now is a great time to think about making some deals. And there’s no need to worry if you run in to problems and need spare parts further down the line – these can also be sourced by specialised businesses, and they will also arrange expert engineering or mechanical help if required.

Not so long ago Chinese auto-mobile manufacturing was in overdrive, but since the downturn the domestic car industry has suffered accordingly. Vast parking lots full of SUVs and four wheel drives are waiting to be driven away. These types of car are really useful on construction sites, in developing countries and in disaster zones, so it won’t be long before they find themselves on container ships to other lands…

China has some exquisite buildings.

So why not sit down and do the sums? Check out some prices for the kind of machinery you need from sources closer to home. Then find out how much the same equipment would cost, including shipping, all the way from China. I think the results could be interesting.

With the global glut in construction machinery not set to abate for some months, there has never been a better time to buy a digger, bulldozer or crane from China…

Image credits: smitty42 and puuikibeach