European OEMs Seek Investigation Into China Crane Imports

Dubai (PlantAndEquipment.com) - Liebherr, Manitowoc, Tadano, and Sennebogen have filed a trade complaint to the European Commission.

Together, these crane manufacturers account for almost the entire European mobile crane manufacturing industry. They are demanding an investigation into what they believe are unfairly priced mobile crane imports from China, which are harming competition in the EU market.

The complaint concerns self-propelled mobile cranes with lifting capacity of at least 30 tonnes, which are often active in energy infrastructure, transportation networks, emergency response, and military.

According to industry insiders, the probe will concentrate on key Chinese crane exporters such as XCMG, Zoomlion, and SANY, whose growing presence in the European market has sparked competition concerns among EU manufacturers.

The European manufacturers believe that Chinese manufacturers benefit from considerable state subsidies, allowing them to sell in Europe at prices that do not represent true material, energy, and manufacturing costs.

European OEMs emphasize continued expenditures in achieving stringent environmental, safety, and data protection standards, as well as advancements in crane performance. They argue that sustaining a robust European industrial base is critical to the region's long-term strategic autonomy.

Company executives underlined their support for fair competition but said that current market circumstances warrant a trade defense probe. They have urged the European Commission to investigate the problem and maintain a competitive environment for Europe's mobile crane business.