Four big European mobile crane manufacturers have lodged a complaint with the European Commission concerning the influx of mobile cranes from China into the EU, demanding an urgent investigation.
Liebherr, Manitowoc, Sennebogen and Tadano, who together represent around 99% of the European mobile crane industry, say Chinese manufacturers enjoy a broad spectrum of state aid and subsidies that make competition in Europe “manifestly unfair”.
Publicising their complaint through the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association, they are most concerned about mobile cranes able to lift at least 30 tonnes and mounted on self-propelled vehicles.
They say such cranes are key to ensuring Europe’s independence in critical transport infrastructure, energy, defence and emergency services.
‘Wide range of subsidy mechanisms’
“Our European industry welcomes fair competition, but it is patently unfair to compete with products whose selling conditions do not come close to covering the raw materials, energy and production costs of a European mobile crane manufacturer,” said Christoph Kleiner, Managing Director of Sales for Liebherr-Werk Ehingen.
“Chinese manufacturers benefit from a wide range of subsidy mechanisms, which gives them a massively unfair advantage when exporting to the EU,” he added.
Aaron Ravenscroft, president and chief executive of The Manitowoc Company, said: “We believe in fair competition and have urged the European Commission to address the material injury to European industry caused by the dumping tactics of Chinese exporting producers. We call on the Commission to restore a level playing field across the EU.”
‘Distortive pricing tactics’
Tadano Europe Holdings chief executive Noriaki Yashiro said: “While we believe in fair competition, the distortive pricing tactics of exporting producers from China warrant the opening of a trade defence investigation. We call on the European Commission to take swift and decisive action to ensure a fair and competitive environment for future production and employment in Europe’s mobile crane manufacturing sector.”
Managing director of Sennebogen Maschinenfabrik, Erich Sennebogen, said: “Chinese mobile crane producers are increasingly focusing on export markets, with the EU market being a prime target.
“The combination of spare production capacities in China, existing stocks and substantial Chinese governmental support, means that material injury to the vulnerable European industry will continue if anti-dumping measures are not imposed. These measures need to be taken to ensure fair global competition.”
In April, the European Commission – the main executive body of the EU – imposed extra “anti-subsidy” duties on Chinese mobile access equipment such as forklifts, scissor lifts and boom lifts.
Ranging from 7.3% to 14.2%, the tariffs will “level the playing field”, the Commission said.
Combined with previous anti-dumping and countervailing duties, the new measure brings tariffs levied on such equipment to between 20.6% and 66.7%.
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