Following the filing of a formal complaint by leading European mobile crane manufacturers, the European Commission has launched an anti-dumping investigation into imports of mobile cranes from China.
The investigation will look into the growing concerns regarding the surge of cheap Chinese mobile cranes entering the EU market, under conditions that the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association believes leads to unfair competition for European producers. The inquiry is centred around mobile cranes designed for lifting and moving of materials on land, with a lifting capacity of at least 30 tonnes, mounted on self-propelled vehicles.
As part of the investigation, members of the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association – such as Liebherr, Manitowoc and Tadano – have provided evidence of material injury caused by what the association calls deems predatory pricing and unfair advantages enjoyed by Chinese exporters, including government subsidies, manipulated raw material costs, preferential tax schemes and sweetheart financing deals. The complaint also warns of the impact caused by Chinese imports to EU jobs.
“The European mobile crane sector welcomes the opening of an EU anti-dumping investigation, which marks a crucial step towards restoring a level playing field and safeguarding Europe’s industrial future,” the complainants said in a joint statement. “We are committed to working with the European Commission as this investigation proceeds and hope it will be followed by swift and decisive action to ensure a fair and competitive environment for future production and employment in Europe’s mobile crane manufacturing sector.”
