Domestic market reacts and sales grow
Valor Econômico
While the national production of equipment for civil construction and infrastructure experience a retraction of nearly 70% caused by the fall in exports, the domestic market of this kind of machine is among the less affected by the world crisis, only behind China and India. With a sales volume 23% smaller until April, when compared to the same period of 2008, the domestic consumption of road equipment, as they are classified, has been increasing every month. And among the main reasons for such are the 2010 general elections for President and Governors and the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC).
For this year, although far from the 2008 results, when the domestic consumption of road machines - including the imported ones - got to 17.5 thousand units, the forecast of the manufacturers is that the sales volume in the monthly-basis comparison continues growing. The estimates point to a result between 10 thousand and 12 thousand units, a volume similar to that seen in 2007. The segment is formed by crawler tractors, backhoes, wheel front-end loaders, hydraulic digging machines, off-road trucks, motor graders, drum rollers and skid-steers.
According to the data of April of the Brazilian Machinery Manufacturers Association (Abimaq), the National consumption of these equipment increased 4% in the month, going from 1001 units in March to 1041 in April. Compared to February and January, the domestic sales increased 16.6% and 35.7% in the period, respectively. In relation to the same month of 2008, however, the fall amounted to 29%. The data includes the sales of imported equipment, that from January to April climbed 7.8% up compared to the same period of last year. The data of the Abimaq portrays the situation well. The fall in exports from January to April this year compared to the first quarter of 2008 amounted to 77.4%, while the production fell 68%.