Liebherr sees ‘unexpected momentum’ in USA fuelled by data centres

Liebherr said it was forecasting a 9% increase in revenues in 2026 to US$2.4 billion driven by demand for cranes, foundation machines and power generation in support of data centre construction, as well as port-related equipment.

The forecast follows 5% growth in 2025, which had given the company “unexpected momentum” in a market facing the challenges of import tariffs, said Kai Friedrich, managing director of Liebherr USA, speaking to KHL Group at the ConExpo-Con/Agg show.

“Our industry is benefiting a lot from the current data centre construction here in the United States”, said Friedrich, “I can tell you lots of these cranes and especially foundation equipment, is currently provided to the data centre construction sites.

Kai Friedrich, managing director of Liebherr USA. (Image: KHL Group)

“For this year we are selling at lot of this product [foundation machines]. Whatever we can make available has been taken by contractors working on these data centres.”

The growth in revenues has to be seen in the context of higher pricing because of tariffs, with an effective total tariff rate, including the steel tariffs, typically in the 20 to 25% range for importers like Liebherr. Not all of this cost is passed on to customers, but a significant proportion is.

Maritime applications

Friedrich added that Liebherr was seeing “tremendous momentum” in everything related to maritime applications, including maritime cranes, ship to shore cranes.”

In addition, he said, there was growing demand for diesel generators for power generation applications at data centres, where the gensets are used for back-up power.

Liebherr has made large mining trucks in the US for decades - for sale globally - and it is currently evaluating other opportunities to build machines locally; “If the current environment with its specific tariff rules and regulations would create for us an environment with competitive advantages, it might motivate us.”

He said any decision would be based on demand for products globally, not just in the US; “It’s also about international competitiveness. And if we are coming, hypothetically, out of the United States with a solution, a crane or whatever, so it needs to be competitive in Mexico and Brazil as well.”

A Liebherr 586 wheeled loader at ConExpo-Con/Agg.

Friedrich said Liebherr saw lots of promising developments in the US, although demand for earth moving equipment and concrete products “is not as dynamic as they could be or should be. So, I really believe that tariffs do have an impact.”

The company continues to invest heavily in its US operation. It has spent $72 million expanding its mining truck manufacturing centre, and a further $175 million investment is going into its new logistics centre currently being built in Tupelo, Mississippi.