December 31 - In its latest monthly shipping index, Skelton Sherborne reports that machinery import volumes in November decreased by 15 percent to 3,418 units.
Compared to previous years, this is more than twice the number for November 2009 (1677) and up 846 units on November 2010 (2572).
The Brisbane, Australia-based international mining and construction equipment freight forwarder, adds that the Customs FOB value rose from AUD489 million in October to AUD569 million in November an increase of 11 percent indicating improved volumes of larger mining equipment is coming in to the country.
Whilst the shipment of bitumen mixing plants/machines and mobile cranes was down (100 percent and 55 percent respectively), the import of other earthmoving machines was up 99 percent.
The index reports that road making/paving machinery moves fell 51 percent; whilst other public works equipment screeners were up 129 percent and tracked cranes up 133 percent.
The Skelton Sherborne Shipping Index is published every month and is available on the forwarder's website. It offers an indication of the state of the mining and construction industries by way of import activity into Australia. The index is created from data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the forwarder's own data.
