In the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, the Office of the Commissioner for the Protection of Entrepreneurs’ Rights to the President of the Russian Federation and the Russian-Chinese Committee for Friendship, Peace and Development held a round table on the theme “The world market for special equipment. New reality under sanctions. Positions and opportunities of Russia”.
The relevance of the event is due to the fact that from 2022 the Russian construction equipment market, as well as the realities for exporters, importers and operators, have changed significantly. The situation is complicated by the fact that large-scale construction and infrastructure projects are currently being implemented in Russia, and therefore the issue of the purchase of equipment and its maintenance is of interest to companies of various segments.
During the roundtable, the gathered experts, authorities and business representatives discussed the current situation and emerging trends, especially those related to the departure of Western and Japanese manufacturers of special equipment. During the round table, particular attention was paid to the dynamics of the supply of special equipment from China. Representatives of Chinese companies in Russia presented their products, discussed business plans, shared their opinions on the advantages of the Russian market and the difficulties of working there.
So, for example, the Chinese company SANY is currently studying the possibility of building a factory of special equipment in Russia, said Anton Nikolaev, director of development of the SANY group in Russia. According to him, the company has been operating in the Russian market since the early 2000s. The company has participated in a number of major projects in Russia, in particular the construction of facilities for the Winter Olympics in Sochi, the largest Russian business center in Moscow, and oil and gas facilities. SANY has been the Russian market leader in drilling rigs, crawler cranes and concrete pumps for about 10 years. In 2022, the company became the Russian market leader in terms of excavators, and in all segments – mini, medium, heavy excavators, heavy mining excavators.
“The company has great ambitions in the Russian market, road equipment is actively introduced – asphalt pavers, graders, front loaders. Every year we expand our product range and launch new products,†he said. declared.
According to Nikolaev, new products such as dump trucks and tractors have been launched in the Russian market this year. In the near future, there will be new products such as skid steer loaders, backhoe loaders. According to him, the company offers about 120 products from 25 types of equipment. The number of types of electrical equipment produced is also increasing. The company is actively negotiating with most of the governors of Russia, it has participated in SPIEF this year and in the WEF in the past. He noted that the company had already considered the possibility of building a factory in Russia, but it was not economically feasible because sales were low and it was easier to supply products from China.
“Now that the situation has changed, we are studying whether to build a factory and how quickly it will pay for itself. The regions are actively offering us their territories in special economic zones for the construction of factories. We are preparing a project, let’s prepare a business plan for our shareholders,†he said.
Earlier, it was reported that other Chinese special equipment manufacturers Sinotruck and Zoomlion were exploring the possibility of opening their businesses in Russia.
According to the consulting company Sinoruss, in 2022 about 3,000 units of special equipment from China were imported to Russia. For example, Russian imports of Chinese truck cranes increased by 142%, while China’s share in this segment reached 98.8%. Surana Radnaeva, general director of Sinoruss, noted that a significant part of Western manufacturers have suspended their work in Russia. including Scania, Iveco, Volvo Trucks, Ford, MAN, and thanks to this, the positions of Chinese companies such as Shantui, Howo, FAW, SITRAK, JAC have significantly strengthened.
During the round table, participants also had the opportunity to exchange forecasts on the development of the Russian market, talk about current business issues and make new business contacts.
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