Globally, construction machinery industry start-up hours are a key indicator of economic activity and market demand. Komatsu's latest Komatsu Excavator Global Starting Hours data for July 2024 shows that the Chinese and Japanese markets show relatively stable market demand, while the European market shows significant year-on-year growth, and the North American and Indonesian markets show overall positive growth trends despite fluctuations in starting hours.

Komatsu Excavator Start Hours for July 2024

China region: stable demand, slight fluctuations

The average number of start-up hours in the China region was 88.4 in July, down slightly by 0.3% from 88.8 a year earlier. The year-on-year figure showed a slight increase from 87.7 hours in June, indicating a slight uptick in market demand. Despite fluctuations in the economic environment, overall demand for construction machinery in the Chinese market remained stable.

European region: significant growth and strong recovery

The average number of hours started in Europe in July was 79.1 hours, a significant increase of 13.1% year-on-year, showing a strong recovery in the construction machinery market. Year-on-year analysis showed a 10.9% increase from 71.5 hours in June to 79.1 hours, further confirming the positive growth momentum in the European market.

Indonesia: steady highs, slight decline

Indonesia's average start-up hours in July were 219.9 hours, slightly higher than the 218.3 hours in 2023, and remained largely stable, with overall start-up hours remaining firmly at the highest level among global regions.

Other regions:

In the Japan region, July start-up hours were 48.8 hours, up 3.4% from 47.3 hours in the same month in 2023. The year-on-year data showed a significant increase of 11.5% to 48.8 hours from 43.2 hours in June, indicating a volatile uptrend in the market since the beginning of 2024. North America averaged 69.4 start hours in July, up 1.9% from 68.1 hours in the same month in 2023.