Market evolution: Crane lorries (CN 870510) — 2015–2025

Introduction

The European Union is a globally significant producer and exporter of crane lorries (CN 870510), a specialised segment within the broader category of special-purpose motor vehicles. Over the period 2015–2025, the EU's external trade in this product has undergone notable structural shifts: export values have risen while volumes in tonnes have declined, unit prices have increased substantially, and the import side has grown rapidly—most dramatically through the emergence of new suppliers such as China and Türkiye. This report examines these dynamics in three sections, drawing on EU trade data from 2015 to 2025.

1. Rising Export Values Despite Falling Tonnage: The EU's Pricing Story

The EU's crane lorry exports to non-EU countries tell a story of value growth decoupled from physical volume, pointing to a shift toward higher-value, heavier, or more technologically advanced vehicles.

Export value recovered from a mid-period trough to reach €1.86 billion in 2025

Between 2015 and 2025, EU export value rose by 17.4%, from €1.59 billion to €1.86 billion. However, the trajectory was far from linear. The period saw a minimum of €1.22 billion and a peak of €2.22 billion, indicating significant year-to-year swings. The strong post-2020 recovery likely reflects pent-up demand from infrastructure investment cycles and construction booms in key markets.

Tonnage shipped fell by 15.1%, while price per tonne surged by 38.2%

The quantity exported in tonnes declined from 217,296 tonnes in 2015 to 184,583 tonnes in 2025, a drop of 15.1%. In stark contrast, the unit price per tonne climbed from €7,309 to €10,102 (+38.2%). This divergence suggests that the EU is increasingly exporting higher-specification crane lorries—potentially larger-capacity cranes mounted on more sophisticated chassis, or vehicles incorporating more expensive materials and electronics. It may also partly reflect general inflationary pressures in heavy vehicle manufacturing.

The vehicle count grew modestly while the trade balance remained strongly positive

The number of crane lorries exported increased from 3,355 to 3,827 units (+14.1%), yet tonnage fell. This implies that the average weight per exported vehicle actually decreased—from approximately 64.8 tonnes to 48.2 tonnes—suggesting a possible shift in the product mix toward lighter, perhaps more mobile crane lorries, even as per-unit value rose slightly. The EU's net trade balance remained strongly positive, moving from €1.53 billion to €1.75 billion (+14.3%), confirming the EU's position as a dominant net exporter throughout the period.

2. Shifting Destinations and New Competitive Pressures on the Import Side

The geographical composition of both EU exports and imports has shifted significantly over the decade, with new partners rising in importance and traditional relationships evolving.

The United States became the EU's single largest export market, more than doubling in value

EU exports to the United States grew from €297 million to €639 million, a rise of 115.4%. The US thus absorbed a growing share of EU crane lorry exports, driven likely by strong infrastructure spending (including federal programmes such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) and by the premium positioning of European manufacturers in the North American market. Exports to Australia surged by 308.9%, from €46 million to €188 million, making it the third-largest destination by 2025. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian imports of EU crane lorries collapsed by 80.2%, from €107 million to just €21 million—possibly reflecting Saudi Arabia's pivot toward domestic production or Asian suppliers under its Vision 2030 industrial strategy.

Imports nearly doubled in value, with China emerging as the dominant supplier

EU imports of crane lorries grew from €60 million to €118 million (+96.5%). The most dramatic shift was the rise of China, which went from a negligible €295,254 in 2015 to €39 million in 2025—an increase of over 13,000%. China thus overtook all traditional European suppliers (the UK, Norway, Switzerland) to become the largest single source of EU crane lorry imports by value. This rise mirrors China's broader strategy of becoming a global exporter of heavy construction and special-purpose vehicles. Similarly, Türkiye grew from just €51,200 to €6.4 million, reflecting its expanding heavy-vehicle manufacturing sector.

Import prices diverged: per-tonne prices rose while per-vehicle prices fell

A particularly telling pattern emerges from comparing import price metrics. The import price per tonne rose from €4,476 to €5,411 (+20.9%), while the price per imported vehicle fell from €182,872 to €122,056 (−33.3%). The number of imported vehicles surged from 329 to 969 units (+194.5%). This is consistent with new entrants (particularly from China and Türkiye) offering more affordable, lighter crane lorries that compete on price rather than capacity, thereby pulling down the average per-unit import price even as tonnage-weighted prices increased.

3. Domestic Production Surged and Export Market Concentration Increased

Behind the trade figures, the EU's own production of crane lorries expanded dramatically, and the structure of the export market became more concentrated.

EU production output nearly doubled in units and almost tripled in value

According to PRODCOM data, EU production of crane lorries grew from 2,594 units to 5,160 units (+98.9%). Production value increased from €1.43 billion to €3.88 billion (+170.6%). This implies that the average production value per unit rose from approximately €552,000 to €751,000, consistent with the broader trend of premiumisation in the sector. The growth in production significantly outpaced the growth in exports, indicating rising domestic absorption—possibly linked to construction and infrastructure demand within the EU itself.

Germany dominates production and exports, while export market concentration doubled

Germany is by far the most specialised EU member state in crane lorry production, with an RCA (Revealed Comparative Advantage) of 3.58 and accounting for 75.8% of EU production value in 2025. German exports totalled €1.56 billion in 2025, representing the overwhelming majority of EU exports. Finland is the only other member state with a positive RSCA (0.21), indicating a genuine competitive edge. The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) for EU exports by destination rose from 748 to 1,502 (+100.9%), while imports became slightly less concentrated (HHI fell from 2,797 to 2,403, −14.1%). Rising export concentration reflects the growing dominance of fewer, larger destination markets—particularly the United States.

Trade intensity and export propensity both increased, reflecting deeper global integration

The EU's trade intensity ratio rose from 42.3% to 58.5% (+38.2%), and the export propensity increased from 41.3% to 57.4% (+39.1%). Both indicators point to a sector that has become more outward-oriented over the decade. Despite rising imports, the EU's net import reliance remained deeply negative (from −65.2% to −121.5%), confirming that the EU exports far more than it imports and that its competitive position in this product category has, if anything, strengthened in net terms.

Conclusion

The EU crane lorry market (CN 870510) over 2015–2025 is characterised by three overarching dynamics. First, the EU consolidated its position as a high-value, high-quality exporter: export values and unit prices rose even as tonnage declined, pointing to a premium product strategy. Second, the import landscape was reshaped by the rapid entry of Chinese and Turkish suppliers, who brought more affordable vehicles into the EU market and nearly doubled total import value—a trend that merits monitoring for its competitive implications. Third, domestic production surged, led overwhelmingly by Germany, and the export market became more geographically concentrated around a handful of key destinations, especially the United States. While the EU's net exporter status remains very strong, the growing reliance on a smaller set of export markets and the emergence of new low-cost import competitors represent structural shifts that could shape the sector's trajectory in the years ahead.