COMMENT Ӏ DECEMBER 2025
A CHANGING LIFTING LANDSCAPE
In this edition of Cranes Today our regional report (p16) looks at the state of construction in East Asia. Specifically we provide a snapshot of the construction markets in China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. What is particularly striking is the contrast in outlook between
these countries – with China at one end, benefitting from large government investments, to South Korea at the other, facing its steepest construction downturn in more than two decades. The feature goes on to look at some of the key reasons behind these headline figures. China is also the focus of our lead news story: 'Crane dumping trade complaint' (p11), where four of the top global mobile crane manufacturers – Liebherr, Manitowoc, Sennebogen and Tadano – have filed a trade complaint to the European Commission concerning the influx of mobile cranes from China into the European Union. The companies have requested an urgent investigation into imports of Chinese mobile cranes marketed in the EU at conditions that they say results in manifestly unfair competition for European producers. One commentator on our LinkedIn (@Cranes Today Magazine) post about this story, however, said: 'Too little, too late... the writing was on the wall for at least the last ten years. Asking Brussels for decisive action now? Well…". Underscoring this point is our second news story (p15):
'BMS Stangeland invests in 15 new Sany cranes'. Chinese manufacturer Sany claims this is one of the biggest crane deals in Norwegian history and it says there has been a surge of interest in its products, particularly from the Nordic regions. Taken together these stories highlight the shifting competitive dynamics facing the global lifting sector. Regional construction cycles remain uneven and manufacturers are responding to these conditions in different ways - whether through export- led growth, strategic market positioning or calls for regulatory
MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE: BMS Stangeland
Crane Norway Group
15 15
Denzai 21 Fassi 28 Hiab 24 HMF 28 HSC 20 Hyva 30
scrutiny. What is clear is that the pace of change is accelerating, not only in East Asia but across established European markets as well.
In this issue's ring crane feature (p34) we focus on a truly global company headquartered in the heart of Europe: Belgium-based heavy lift and transport company Sarens. In July Sarens launched the second largest ring crane in its SGC ring crane portfolio: the SGC-170. It has a staggering 170,000 tonne-metre load moment, a lifting capacity of 3,200 tonnes, and a hook height of over 200 metres. Crucially, the crane can be fully powered by electricity and offers previously unseen levels of modularity. We speak to the man behind the machine, Matthias Sarens, who was so instrumental in bringing the concept to fruition that the crane has been named 'Big Matthias' after him! Matthias, however, remains humble and credits his skilled and dedicated colleagues as being responsible for bringing his vision to life so quickly, saying this is one of the things he is most proud of. Finally, we have our knuckle boom loader crane feature (p24).
Here our house writer, Julian Champkin, finds another sector undergoing rapid transformation with manufacturers pushing engineering and software technology to new levels, while the market itself is shifting through acquisitions, partnerships, and global expansion strategies. I hope you enjoy this issue, the last of 2025. As we look ahead one thing becomes evident: the lifting industry is entering a period of profound transition, shaped simultaneously by technological innovation, global competition, and evolving regional demand. Navigating this change will require manufacturers, and global lifting contractors, to require agility, long-term vision and a willingness to adapt.
Christian Shelton, Editor
Christian.Shelton@
btmi.com
Liebherr Mammoet
Mammoet Giant Manitowoc
Ørsted Taiwan Palfinger PM
Sany
11 8
42 11 42 25 30 15
Sarens FC Seabrokers Heavy Machinery Sennebogen Tadano
34 15 11 8, 11, 22, 30
VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association
11
XCMG 17 Zoomlion 18
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