Hydraulic Cylinder Market Trends

Growth Drivers

• Defense and aerospace modernization: The modernization of global defense programs is increasing the demand for hydraulic cylinders located in weapon systems, aircraft landing gear, and military actuation assemblies. Global military expenditure increased to $2718 billion in 2024, the 10th year of consecutive rises. The world’s 15 largest spenders in 2024 all increased their military expenditure. The global military burden—the share of global gross domestic product (GDP) devoted to military expenditure—increased to 2.5% in 2024. The U.S. Army modernization is a driver of the high demand for high-pressure, small-form hydraulic options, especially mobile defense platforms and aerospace applications that require durable, high-performance hydraulic solutions.

• Surging agricultural mechanization: The swift rate of mechanization of agriculture in emerging economies is increasing the volume of hydraulic cylinders required for tractors, harvesters, and precision sprayers. By 2028, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) will represent more than 25% of the global exports of agricultural and fisheries products, demonstrating the importance of trade openness at the global level. The transition of agricultural output measured in terms of efficiency is significant and is generating strong demand for dependable compact hydraulic systems that can withstand severe environmental conditions.

• Rising mining and material handling activities: The expansion of the mining sector and large-scale material handling operations continues to be an important contributor to hydraulic cylinder demand. Hydraulic cylinders drive very heavy-duty equipment, for applications such as dump trucks, loaders, drilling rigs, and conveyors - all of which provide efficient load lifting, dumping, and drilling in extreme working conditions. Given this rise in demand for minerals, coal, and metals, the mining industry is growing across the globe. The features of the hydraulic cylinders to withstanding heavy use, handling heavy loads, and allowing for precise control in applications (non-exhaustive) such as deep mining, tunneling, and bulk material transport.

1. Trade Dynamics:

Top Three Exporters f Hydraulic Presses for Working Metal in 2023

(Source: OEC)

Top Five Importers of Hydraulic Presses for Working Metal in 2023

(Source: WITS)

2. Global Trade Values for Hydraulic Presses & Hydraulic & Pneumatic Automatic Controls

Yearly Trade Value (USD) for Selected Hydraulic Product Categories

(Source: OEC)

Challenges

• Fluctuating raw material prices: The most significant disruptive costs in raw materials that impacted the hydraulic cylinder market are steel and aluminium. Global economic factors, political trade limitations, and supply chain hassles can all impact raw materials. Price volatility increases costs to manufacturers, reduces supplier margins, and creates pricing uncertainty for OEMs and end users in construction, mining, and industrial applications.

• High maintenance and operational costs: Hydraulic systems face operational challenges such as fluid leaking into internal parts and working seals, seals wearing out, and pressure too low or too high or varying constantly, which makes it necessary to service them frequently. Servicing is not only downtime, but it increases the total cost of ownership, and some businesses are not likely to pay a higher total cost of ownership in an economic environment that requires tight budgets. Businesses operating hydraulic systems with small and medium-sized enterprises often will not have the ability or opportunity to pay for high-maintenance technology, and slowly, the industry is shifting toward cleaner, more energy-efficient electromechanical options that have lower total lifecycle costs.