By Karen E. Thuermer, AJOTGood news for break bulk shippers of mining equipment: market intelligence reports that the mining equipment market is expected to remain healthy through the rest of the current decade. The reason, they cite, is strong demand for commodities being generated in China and India. According to World Mining Data 2010, Asia was the leading minerals producer in the world weighing in at 7.35 billion (excluding diamonds and natural gas) metric tons in 2008, an increase of 6.9 percent from 2007. India’s market for metals and minerals is expected to reach $30 billion in the next four years, an amount that accounts for 2.5 percent of India’s GDP. To meet needs, reports by Bharatbook indicate that in key mining sectors like coal, metallic ores, and mining equipment will need major investments in the coming five to 10 years to support India’s high rate of economic growth. Researchers project that demand for coal mining related equipment will also continue to increase as more coal is used as a replacement source for oil and gas. Coal is already the second largest source of energy generation and catching up fast on the oil and natural gas. Meanwhile, sources report that mining equipment manufacturers are still concentrated in the developed countries such as the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and other western European countries. Many countries with large natural resources have entered the mining equipment business in a bid to vertically integrate the mining industry. Australia, Canada, South Africa and to some extent Brazil and Russia are into this space. The Numbers Overall exports of U.S.-made construction and agricultural equipment increasing globally to the tune of $7.4 billion during the first half of this year—a 15 percent rise in construction equipment export purchase activity when compared to the same period in 2009, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). The top destinations for U.S. construction machinery exports spanning January 2010 to June 2010 were: Canada, $2.4 billion; Australia, $625 million; Mexico, $549 million; Chile, $462 million; Brazil, $376 million; China, $242 million; Colombia, $189 million; South Africa, $173 million; Peru, $168 million; and Belgium, $153 million. Exports to Central America and South America each gained 14 percent compared to midyear 2009 – $753 million for Central America and $1.4 billion for South America. Asia’s export purchases increased 5 percent to $984 million. Australia/Oceania took delivery of 37 percent more American-made construction machinery – for a total $679 million – while exports to Canada increased to $2.4 billion, a 32 percent gain. While export purchases of U.S.-produced construction equipment and agricultural equipment increased globally – due to activity within a number of nations and regions – two continents experienced declines in U.S. export purchase activity. Construction equipment exports to Europe were flat during the first half of 2010, with exports totaling $777 million. In Africa construction equipment exports declined 20 percent to $423 million. Caterpillar Expansions Caterpillar, a major global player in the construction and mining equipment arena, mirrors these trends. The company is experiencing increases in construction and mining equipment sales increases in specifics nations around the globe, despite the difficulties of the global economy. Caterpillar is the world’s No. 1 maker of earthmoving machinery and a big supplier of agricultural equipment with plants worldwide. It manufacturers construction, mining, and logging machinery; diesel and natural gas engines; industrial gas turbines; and electrical power generation systems via its plants worldwide and network of 3,500 sales offices in some 180 countries. According to Kate Kenny, Caterpillar spokeswoman, exports from the United States were $10.3 billion in 2009, which is about one third of its total sales. While the company does not break out