Sales of Trucks and Heavy Equipment Still Weak in Quarter I - 2013
In the first quarter of 2013, sales figures of trucks and heavy equipment in Indonesia still show no significant upward movement yet due to low activity in the country's mining, plantation and construction sectors. The chairman of Indonesia's Heavy Equipment Manufacturer Association (HINABI), Pratjojo Dewo, said that production numbers of heavy equipment in January and February rose slightly compared to the same months last year.
Demand for heavy equipment is, however, still rather low due to business uncertainties in commodity-related industries.
Without mentioning figures, the sales of trucks in Indonesia during the first two months of 2013 were almost the same as during the same period last year. For the whole year 2013, sales are expected to rise 17 percent, but the slow growth in the first two months of 2013 jeopardize this target (although sales of trucks in quarter I are historically always lower than sales in the other quarters).
The three sectors that influence sales of trucks and heavy equipment the most - i.e. mining, plantation and construction - have all not picked up yet this year. Crude palm oil production has been disturbed by heavy rainfall in some areas of Indonesia, and construction projects are difficult to launch due to problems with regard to land acquisition.