Opening of EU Anti-Dumping Investigation Into Chinese Mobile Crane Imports

he European Commission officially launched an anti- dumping investigation into imports of mobile cranes from China following a formal complaint lodged by leading European mobile crane manufacturers.

This investigation will examine mounting concerns over the surge of artificially cheap Chinese mobile cranes entering the EU market, under conditions that result in manifestly unfair competition for European producers. The case focuses on mobile cranes designed for the lifting and moving of materials on land, with a lifting capacity of at least 33 tons, mounted on self- propelled vehicles.

Members of the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association – including Liebherr, Manitowoc, Sennebogen, and Tadano — representing a large majority of the above-mentioned EU industry sector, have provided evidence of material injury caused by predatory pricing and unfair advantages enjoyed by Chinese exporters.

These advantages include government subsidies, manipulated raw material costs, preferential tax schemes and sweetheart financing deals. The complaint also highlights an exponential increase in Chinese crane imports to the EU, threatening more than 7,000 direct jobs and tens of thousands more throughout the supply chain.

Mobile cranes manufactured in the EU are essential for the construction and maintenance of critical infrastructure, renewable energy projects and defence operations, underpinning Europe's strategic independence. The European mobile crane industry also invests heavily in safety, performance and compliance with EU environmental and data protection standards.

In a joint statement, the complainants said:

"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. 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."

For more information, visit vdma.eu/en/.