March 14, 2009 - Data just released by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) once again underscores the importance of the Canadian market to manufacturers of American made construction machinery.

Exports sales to Canada alone accounted for 30% of the global total, or nearly double the next largest market of South America. Export sales to Canada were also more than double the total sales to the Asian market, double the total sales to the European market, more than triple the sales to Central America and more than four times sales to Africa.

The AEM data indicates that export sales to South America grew 44 percent in 2008 for a total of $3.3 billion dollars compared to 2007. Asia took delivery of $3 billion dollars worth of U.S. construction equipment, an increase of 25 percent, and exports to Central America grew 19 percent in 2008, for a total of $2 billion dollars.

Export business to Europe gained 11 percent with purchases of $3 billion dollars in 2008, and construction machinery exports to Canada increased 13 percent for a total of $6.2 billion dollars.

Africa recorded purchases of $1.4 billion dollars worth of U.S. construction equipment, an increase of 29 percent. And, exports to Australia/Oceania grew 14 percent, to $1.8 billion dollars.

The AEM trade group is headquarted in Milwaukee, WI. and consolidates U.S. Commerce Department data for off-road equipment with other sources into quarterly export trend reports.