CLEAR has just launched its first forecast of West European Trailer Production that includes figures for all of the major manufacturers. Every manufacturer that produces over 1,000 units per annum is included. In addition, many of the smaller producers also feature in the data.
The second new product to be launched this year is a forecast for Eastern Europe, which includes the largest markets: Russia, Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovenia plus the Baltic states of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia.
16 manufacturing groups now produce two-thirds of the trailers in Western Europe. The assembly sites are spread across 9 countries, plus some satellite operations in Eastern Europe. There is an increasing trend to assemble trailers in Eastern Europe, with Schmitz, Schwarzmüller and Samro all active in the region.
This development underlines the requirement for a reliable Eastern European analysis, which CLEAR has now created. It shows the market for new trailers doubling over the current decade. Joining the European Union has had a significant impact on the market: growth jumped to over 30% in 2004. A more modest growth pattern is forecast for the future.