Construction equipment market insights September 2026
Paul Lyons
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3 minute read
Welcome to the latest edition of our bi-monthly market insights blog which brings together all the key aspects of the market insight reports that I provide. I will be producing this overview and summary every other month to ensure that you don’t miss any of the key information we are sharing with members.
Equipment Sales
Retail sales of construction and earthmoving equipment flattened in July after showing strong growth in the previous two months. This included 13% growth in June compared with the same month last year but has now seen growth fall to only 0.9% in July. This isn’t surprising after sales in June recorded the highest monthly level since 2023. In the first seven months of the year, sales have reached nearly 19,000 units and are 5.2% higher than the same period last year.
View the latest report on equipment sales for July (members only).
The August sales update will be published in the last week of September, so keep an eye out for that report.
The latest quarterly update on UK imports and exports of construction equipment for Q2 this year was published in August. Imports and exports of construction and earthmoving equipment both saw significant growth in Q2 compared with the first quarter and last year. This was particularly the case for Imports which reached the highest quarterly level since data has been monitored from 2013.
UK Imports saw a 32% increase in the tonnage shipped in Q2 and this took the total shipped in the first half of the year to a 39% increase compared with the first half of 2025. Japan remained as the leading source, accounting for 25% of total imports on a tonnage shipped basis, but this was a reduction from the 27% seen last year. China was in second place in the country ranking and saw its share increase to 16% in the first half of the year compared with 13% in 2025.
Exports of equipment showed an 8% increase in Q2 compared with the first quarter and this took tonnage shipped to a 17% increase in the first half of the year. The USA remained as the most significant destination for UK exports in the first half of the year, with tonnage shipped reaching 27% of total exports. This was an increase on the 21% share seen for the USA in 2025, with the lower level last year being due to import tariffs being implemented in August.
UK trade in construction equipment in Q3 2026 should be available at the end of October.
The Construction Market
The Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) provides a summary of all things construction from bricks to cement and is a good indicator of what is happening in the wider sector.
The Index in August was at 44.7, which was the highest for 4 months, while still remaining below the 50.0 threshold level indicating growth. Comments in the latest survey suggest the sector is beginning to stabilise, with all 3 sub-sectors showing improving levels of activity. However, Housebuilding remains the weakest sector, recording a decline at 37.6 in the latest survey.
View the PMI for the UK construction market for August.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published the latest data on construction activity up to July this year. Output in July was very similar to June levels showing a 0.1% increase. However, in the first seven months of the year, overall activity has seen a 1.9% decline compared with the same period in 2025. A decline in new work has driven this decline showing a 6% fall in the first seven months of the year, which has been offset to some extent by an increase in repair and maintenance activity of 4% during the same period.
The Construction Products Association (CPA) published their Summer forecast in July. In their latest update, overall construction output is expected to fall by 3.3% this year. This is a further reduction to the Spring forecast which anticipated a reduction in activity of 2.5% this year. The latest update reflects the on-going impact of the conflict in the Middle East which is increasing costs and reducing demand within the sector.
The latest construction market review published by Glenigan in July shows a mixed picture for the industry. Planning approvals showed an increase in the latest 3 months compared with the previous 3 months. However, contract awards and project starts both showed declines during the same period. On an annual basis, all 3 measures of activity are still showing declines and the latest report indicates a cautious outlook for the rest of the year shaped by wider economic and political issues.
There are many other key reports and indicators available on the construction equipment market insights area of the CEA website. These are all member only resources, so I encourage you to take a look.
I trust you find this summary useful and a good reminder of all the key industry statistics and indicators that are available to you as CEA members. If there are any other measures or metrics you would like me to take a look at, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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