Komatsu shipments drop by half in October

Japan's construction-machinery shipments tumbled by half in October, compared with a year earlier, as the recession cut sales of machines built by Komatsu Ltd. and its domestic rivals.

Locally, Komatsu has operations in Rolling Meadows and Oak Brook,

The value of factory shipments of excavators, tractors, cranes and other construction and mining machinery fell 50 percent to 98.9 billion yen ($1.1 billion) last month, the Tokyo-based Japan Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association said today in a statement.

Exports declined 56 percent to 60.5 billion yen, and domestic shipments dropped 37 percent to 38.4 billion yen, the statement said.

The industry group represents 73 companies including Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Caterpillar Japan Ltd., a unit of Peoria-based Caterpillar Inc., and Kobelco Construction Machinery Co., a unit of Kobe Steel Ltd.