China is one of the core import sources of excavators in South America.
In terms of import volume, Brazil is much higher than Peru and Chile. In 2025, Brazil's total import of excavators exceeded 1.61 billion US dollars, with a year-on-year growth of 114.9%. Peru and Chile have similar volumes. The amount of excavators imported by Peru was approximately 520 million US dollars, with a year-on-year increase of 16.3%; the import amount of excavators by Chile increased by 17.9% to 420 million US dollars. The import volumes of Brazil, Peru, and Chile all increased compared to the previous year, and the market demand is gradually recovering.
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In terms of the importing countries, China ranks among the top two suppliers for all three countries. In 2025, the top three import sources for Brazilian excavators were China, Japan, and the Czech Republic, accounting for over 80% of the total amount. China accounted for more than 60% of this figure. The main source countries for Peruvian excavators were China, Brazil, and South Korea, contributing over 76% of the import volume. Chile's top source country was the United States, accounting for nearly 40%. China and Germany followed closely, with the combined amount accounting for over 70%. Meanwhile, Brazil ranked sixth among Chile's import sources with a 2.6% share.
From the brand perspective, Chinese brands performed particularly well in the Brazilian import market, while Peru and Chile were dominated by international brands.
• In the Brazilian excavator import market, Sany Heavy Industry ranked first in terms of import amount, accounting for over 30%. Yanmar and Zoomlion followed closely. Chinese brands Liugong, XCMG, and Longgong were all among the top ten brands.
• In the Peruvian market, the top three brands in terms of import amount were Caterpillar, Volvo, and Komatsu, with Caterpillar accounting for more than half. Among the top ten brands, XCMG and Sany Heavy Industry of China ranked eighth and tenth respectively.
• In Chile, the top three brands in terms of import amount were Komatsu, Caterpillar, and DEVELON, with a combined share of over 80%. Komatsu occupied nearly 60% of the market share.
Excavators are mainly exported to South American countries.
In the first 11 months of 2025, the export amount of Brazilian excavators was 160 million US dollars, increasing by 20.1% compared to the whole year of 2024. The export scale of Peruvian excavators was approximately 5.28 million US dollars, increasing by 24.3%; the export amount of Chile was approximately 6.9 million US dollars, decreasing by 9.6%.
From the perspective of the destination countries, the export markets of the three countries are all concentrated within South America. Brazil's main export destinations are Peru, Argentina, and Paraguay, with each of these countries accounting for more than 10% of the total volume. Chile ranks fourth with a 9.7% share. The export market for excavators from Peru is mainly concentrated in Bolivia, Mexico, and other countries. Chile's main export destinations are Bolivia and Peru.
Regarding the brands, international excavator brands are the main brands for the exports of the three countries. The top three brands for Brazilian excavator exports are Caterpillar, JCB, and Volvo; the export brands from Peru are mainly represented by China Machinery Transmission Corporation, Komatsu, and Caterpillar; and for Chile, the main brands are Caterpillar and Komatsu.
Note: The brand ranking is based on the number of known excavator brands as reported by customs statistics.