COVID-19 Impact on Mini Cranes Market in Semiconductors and Electronics Industry

ANALYSIS ON IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON MINI CRANES MARKET
The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the whole planet with its significant impacts on the economy and businesses across the globe. The COVID-19 spread worldwide in unprecedented ways due to its high infectious and contagious nature and lack of availability of its vaccine. As a result, the most significant medical challenge in the 21st century is yet to be faced by physicians worldwide. Though the emergence of the virus can be traced back to Asia, many European countries and the U.S. have been struck massively by the pandemic. The virus has spread across all regions ranging from North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa up to South America. The COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic by World Health Organization (WHO) due to its increased spread across the globe. After the declaration of the pandemic, various countries announced the complete lockdown, such as India, China and other Asian countries, to decrease its spread. The economies have been affected adversely as most of the trade and economic activities came to a halt. The unemployment rate has grown due to the impact and the global GDP fell by -3.5%. According to the situation report of 7th June 2021 by World Health Organization (WHO) stated 174 million cases of corona had been reported globally and 3.7 million patients are dead due to the coronavirus. On a slightly positive note, 157 million people have recovered and a total of 1.9 million vaccine doses have been administered as well.
A crane is a machine used to lift and move heavy loads, machines, materials and goods for various purposes. They are used in all different industry sectors, from construction to manufacturing to shipbuilding and material loading. Cranes are common along skylines as they are necessary to build the skyscrapers we so often see in our cities. Mini cranes are relatively small cranes that can move through passages and can be used indoors. Some are also battery-powered and are remote-controlled. These are used indoors for lighter weights of around one tonne. The mini cranes can range from a straightforward lever pulley system to be mounted to a full-fledged machine with a motor and retractable boom for extended reach and mobility. Some mini-cane manufacturers are Hoeflon International B.V., Jekko s.r.l. and MAEDA SEISAKUSHO CO.,LTD. among others

IMPACT ON DEMAND AND SUPPLY
The mini crane companies have been affected severely as the demand for new cranes has gone down as the construction work has been halted in the pandemic due to the lockdown imposed by most countries. The companies also supply cranes on a rental basis which has seen a decline, but some crane rental services could secure essential services categories based on the clients.
As seen from the graph below, the used cranes sold in 2020 saw a decline, but the decline was not steep as the cranes are used, which states that the demand for cranes rose in the last quarter of the year but due to the lack of availability of new cranes and cost cuttings companies turned to used cranes. This demand is driven by a lack of new crane availability and price increases due to higher raw material costs and supply chain delays.
For instance,
• In September 2020, Kate Lampson, director of PR and communications at Lampson International, stated that due to the type of customers they have and the industries that we service, Lampson International was deemed an essential business initially of the pandemic. Since then, they have been able to remain open and run the business as usual. In terms of upcoming projects, most current and future projects have stayed on schedule, with only a couple seeing delays.

IMPACT ON PRICE
With used crane sellers experiencing high demand, the supply can be an issue. At Bigge, they have also seen an increase in the price of used cranes. Kraaijeveld finds that there is currently an oversupply of used cranes in the Middle East, especially crawlers, due to delays and cancellations of oil and gas projects and a lower number of infrastructure projects. Prices dropped in June 2020 but rebounded in March 2021. The pricing of used equipment is up 7.8% and is predicted to climb past pre-pandemic levels, as stated by Ganzell. The internet has transformed the crane auctions market, with online sales growth for years. Ritchie Bros. said that before 2020, 70% of its global auction sales were already taking place online and only 30% were onsite in its auction theatres. But the pandemic has accelerated the transition.

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES TAKEN BY MANUFACTURERS
The COVID-19 has hit the infrastructure industry and halted all the work abruptly in which the rental and new crane demand saw a steep decline at the start of the pandemic. This meant that the rental cranes have to be returned and new purchases were halted. The rental cranes had to be replaced and set up again if and when the work resumed to reduce costs. The government provided support in the form of investment in infrastructure and some service providers also received the essential services category, so they were able to continue the work.
For instance,
• The mobile crane market in Australia and New Zealand performed well in 2020, despite the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic. In the case of Australia, the government has played a vital role in Sotiris Kanaris's reports. Apart from the effectiveness of its policies that allowed the economy to restart reasonably quickly, the Australian government's investments in infrastructure also had a positive effect on the crane market. Through the strategy, the government says that approximately USD 1.50 billion in new funding will be invested over the next four years to make Australian manufacturers more competitive, resilient and able to scale up to take on the world.
• Abu Dhabi, UAE-headquartered NFT specializes in the sale and hire of tower cranes. In September 2020, Nagham Al Zahlawi, deputy general manager at NFT, said: "The COVID-19 has delayed a lot of projects, has put some significant tenders on hold and most importantly has delayed payments from clients. From April to May, 90% of our clients have either stopped paying or requested to re-negotiate rates agreed upon and signed before the pandemic hit or have asked us to remove the months where there was a lockdown.

CONCLUSION
The pandemic has taken a toll on every aspect of life, including the global economy. With the significant downfalls in many sectors, a collaborative effort of government, industry players and consumers can win the fight against COVID-19.
The mini cranes market, majorly driven by the infrastructure projects, was impacted at the pandemic's start due to the lockdown imposed. Some rental crane service providers having the essential services category were able to survive the situation. As seen from the instance, various governments all over the globe are helping the market by investing in infrastructure. The demand for the mini cranes market is steadily rising as the projects are resumed and should stabilize soon.
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