SPURRED by China's booming logistics sector, a fierce demand for forklifts is growing at a rate of 30 per cent a year, said Cui Zhongfu, vice chairman of the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing, Xinhua reported.
Sales of forklifts in China increased 30 per cent year on year to 100,000 in 2006. Chinese forklift exports are also taking an increasingly larger share in the world market, which grew from 1.36 per cent in 2001 to over three per cent in 2006.
According to Mr Cui, nearly 100 per cent of China's warehousing and distribution facilities buy forklifts. The rapid development of domestic logistics industry has brought along immense business opportunities for the forklift makers. He predicted that China's forklift production volume will surpass 80,000 and even reach 100,000 in the next two or three years.
But Mr Cui said as demand for higher quality forklifts rises, local manufacturers should enhance their products because Chinese forklifts are not as versatile or as environmental-friendly as others on the world market.