Brazil leads, South American excavator import and export market shows active performance in 2025

Interact Analysis continuously tracks the import and export dynamics of construction machinery in key global markets (data sourced from customs statistics, including second-hand equipment). This article will review the import and export situation of excavators in the three major South American countries - Brazil, Peru, and Chile - in 2025.

China is one of the core source countries for excavator imports in South America

In terms of import scale, Brazil is much higher than Peru and Chile. In 2025, the total import value of excavators in Brazil exceeded 1.61 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 114.9%. Peru and Chile have similar volumes, with Peru importing excavators worth approximately 520 million US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 16.3%; The import value of Chilean excavators increased by 17.9% year-on-year to 420 million US dollars. The import scale of Brazil, Peru, and Chile has all increased compared to the previous year, and market demand is gradually recovering.

In terms of import source countries, China ranks among the top two suppliers of the three countries. By 2025, the top three import sources of Brazilian excavators will be China, Japan, and the Czech Republic, with a combined total of over 80% of the total amount, with China accounting for over 60%. The main source countries for Peruvian excavators are China, Brazil, and South Korea, which together contribute over 76% of the import value. Chile has the United States as its primary source country, accounting for nearly 40%, followed closely by China and Germany, with a total amount of over 70%. Meanwhile, Brazil ranks sixth among Chile's import source countries with a 2.6% share of the total amount.

From a brand perspective, Chinese brands have performed particularly well in the Brazilian import market, while Peru and Chile are dominated by international brands.

In the Brazilian excavator import market, Sany Heavy Industry ranks first in import amount, with a share of over 30%, followed closely by Yangma and Zoomlion. In addition, Chinese brands Liugong, Xugong, and Longgong are all among the top ten brands.

In the Peruvian market, the top three import brands are Caterpillar, Volvo, and Komatsu, with Caterpillar accounting for over half of the total. Among the top ten brands, Chinese brands XCMG and Sany ranked eighth and tenth respectively.

On the Chilean side, the top three brands in terms of import value - Komatsu, Caterpillar, and Devilon - together account for over 80%. Among them, Komatsu holds nearly 60% of the market share.

Excavator exports mainly flow to South American countries

From January to November 2025, the export value of Brazilian excavators was 160 million US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 20.1%, exceeding the full year level of 2024. The export scale of Peruvian excavators is about 5.28 million US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 24.3%; Chile's export value was approximately 6.9 million US dollars, a year-on-year decrease of 9.6%.

From the perspective of export destination countries, the export markets of the three countries are concentrated within South America. The main export destinations of Brazil are Peru, Argentina, and Paraguay, all of which account for over 10% of the total value. Chile ranks fourth with a share of 9.7%. The export market for Peruvian excavators is mainly concentrated in countries such as Bolivia and Mexico. Chile's main export destinations are Bolivia and Peru.

In terms of brand, international excavator brands are the main export brands of the three countries. The top three brands of Brazilian excavator exports are Caterpillar, JCB, and Volvo; Peruvian export brands are mainly Zoomlion, Komatsu, and Caterpillar; Chile's exports are mainly Caterpillar and Komatsu. Editor/Yang Beihua