Concrete pumps up 4.68 percent year on year, lifting equipment at 73.43 percent, port machinery up 7.65 percent

As reported by CCTV+, China’s construction sector gained momentum in April. A number of key indicators surpassed last year’s levels. The excavator index — a barometer of infrastructure and fixed asset investment — provides a complete picture of projects across the country.

The average utilization rate of construction machinery reached 45.09 percent in April. That is 3.6 percentage points higher than in March. In Anhui, Zhejiang, Liaoning and Hainan provinces, the rate exceeded 50 percent.

Concrete pumps posted a utilization rate of 44.96 percent. Year-on-year growth was 4.68 percentage points, month-on-month growth 5.42 percentage points. Lifting equipment reached 73.43 percent — 2.54 percentage points more than a year ago and 3.77 percentage points more than last month.

The utilization rate of port machinery in April was 37.34 percent. Year-on-year growth was 7.65 percentage points, growth from March was 1.61 percent.

Excavators dig, cranes lift, ports unload. China’s construction has come alive not on paper, but in concrete and steel. The rates are rising — meaning projects are not frozen, they are moving forward. The excavator index does not lie: machinery works where there is money, plans and confidence in the future. The question is not how long this upturn will last. The question is how many other countries can show similar figures. While China digs, others count. And the gap widens with every excavator.