The sheer remoteness of the Australian continent means foreign materials handling equipment producers targeting this market must ensure they have local after-sales support set up to succeed.

This is one of the clear messages coming out of CeMAT Australia, held in Melbourne recently.

Australia is not a net forklift manufacturing country, primarily importing forklifts from manufacturers across Japan, Europe and China and sold through dealer networks.

The United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade, shows Australian imports of forklifts and other work trucks with lifts from China, was worth USD326.93 million in 2025, a 6.6% year-on-year increase. 

Imports from the US in 2025 were worth USD87.27 million, an increase of 25.2% year-on-year.

The aggressive push of Chinese equipment into Australia and other markets in the last few years has not gone unnoticed, with a number of end-users that Forkliftaction News spoke with saying they are unhappy with the influx of what are often cheaper or inferior products.

A number of them report having purchased these products only to find there is no-one locally able to repair or service them, leading to a growing number of machines sitting unused in warehouses or recycled for parts.

The same issues Australian customers of broken Chinese equipment face are also being faced by those buying equipment from any company, from any country selling inferior products without local support to back it up.

Why local service matters?

Simon Urch, sales manager for NSW, Victoria and Tasmania with German attachment company KAUP, says the lack of after-sales services and support is a complaint they hear frequently from their customers.

“Unless the customer buys a machine with all the parts and attachments included, they are not going to get the service and support when something goes wrong, except maybe get a replacement.” Urch states

“Some of the imported products are so cheap, they can just replace them when they break.”

Urch adds that customers who buy standardised, entry-level equipment could well be wasting their money because they have not invested in the right machine for their operations.

“Who’s responsible for the spec up? Who’s responsible for making sure all the details are correct?” he adds.

“I can sell you a fork positioner for under AUD2,000 (USD1,385) that you can put on your truck, but if it doesn’t pick up what you need it to because you didn’t spec it right, well it’s useless.”

Urch says that is why local presence can prove to be worth the price. KAUP has design and manufacturing hubs in Germany, Australia and China, with technical teams available in every Australian state.

“I guess you are paying a premium for us being here and offering that service and support and technical back-up,” Urch adds. “Customers want to speak to someone locally who knows the market and can support them.”

Sarah Cooper, national operations manager with Industrial Batteries Australia, also observes “there are a lot of Chinese manufacturers flooding the market”.

“We hear about people buying batteries and chargers because they are cheaper, then something goes wrong and there is no-one to fix it, so they are stuck with it."

Andy Highman, international sales with Landoll, the US manufacturer of narrow-aisle articulated forklift brand Bendi, says they not only recognise the value of local support and service, but that it is also an important part of their growth strategy.

“Some manufacturers might choose to sell their product through pretty much anyone that might be interested in selling it. But what comes next? What happens when it breaks? It’s mechanical, so it will break!” he continues.

“We form partnerships with our dealers and some of the requirements are that they have a good back-up rental fleet, they carry the spare parts that we as the manufacturer stipulate, and that their technicians are properly trained with first fix in mind.

“Because it’s not any other forklift, it’s a VNA (very narrow aisle) product, and if it doesn’t work, what else are you putting in your aisles to carry on your working day? Nothing!”

After-sales support essential - Hangcha Australia

When asked about how critical the provision of local after-sales support and service is to the success of a new entrant into a market like Australia, Leon Luo, general manager of Hangcha Forklift Australia, was emphatic.

“We definitely agree that local after-sales support and service are essential,” Luo says. “As our sales team often says, the first machine may be sold by the salesperson, but the next machine is often sold by the after-sales support. 

“A good product opens the door, but reliable service is what keeps customers coming back.”

Luo adds that reliable local support is critical in giving customers confidence they will receive timely assistance.

“This is especially important in Australia due to time zone differences, communication efficiency, and the need for quick responses to reduce downtime,” he says.

Luo adds local service providers also play an important role in understanding the needs of the local market, working conditions, customer expectations, and the specific models or configurations commonly used in Australia. 

He says language and communication are also important factors, as clear and efficient communication helps issues to be resolved faster and more accurately.

Hangcha Australia has after-sale support teams in Victoria, Queensland and NSW as well as a dealer network across the country.

“At Hangcha, we believe strong local after-sales support is a key part of building long-term trust with customers,” Luo concludes.

And with the war in Iran having such a swift and ongoing impact on global supply chains, the argument could be made that local after-sales support and service will only continue to grow in importance to end-users.