CHEAP imports of plant and machinery are set to flood the British market during the coming year and potential purchasers have been warned to be careful what they are buying.

The warning comes from the Blackburn-based firm of auctioneers and valuers Singletons, who claim the collapse of South East Asian economies, combined with a highly valued pound, will make Europe the natural market for imported plant and machinery goods.

"On the face of it, many might think the opportunity to buy new plant and machinery at knock-down prices is to be welcomed, but it also has its downside, " said Singleton's partner David Fawcett.

"A flood of goods from Asia will certainly impact on British and European machinery manufacturers who will experience a slump in sales.

"Purchasers of imported plant and machinery need to look at its life expectancy and specification, which is often considerably less than that of British goods.

"Another consideration is the accessibility and availability of parts. There are many examples where the after-service with such goods is poor or, in some cases, virtually non-existent."

Singletons is advising its clients to take all aspects of any future plant and machinery purchase into consideration. It warns that the current short-term view of writing off new plant and machinery acquisitions over short periods is not always the best approach.

In many cases, the firm states it is better to buy high specification British and European goods and write them off over, say, 10 to 15 years than cheap imports written off over, say, five years.

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