Michelin data shows tyre boom slowing further

Administrator Tue May 31, 2011 9:51 am

Michelin data shows tyre boom slowing further
19 May 2011

Paris – Michelin has updated its website with a regional breakdown of the growth in the global tyre industry. Most regions and markets are showing growth. However, as with March’s results, the overall picture is that the post-recession boom is coming to an end.

The site only gives percentage changes from a year ago, but the data shows growth in all markets and nearly all regions. Data is given for March, and for the year to date, which covers the first three months of 2011.

In the truck tyre markets, Europe’s growth in OE has further slowed to 54.3 percent, while growth for the year to date was 72.5 percent. For replacement tyres, 23.1 percent growth for the first four months of the year had slowed to 13.1 percent in April.

In North America, OE sales for the year so far were 65.7 percent, almost the same as April sales of 64.4 percent. Replacement sales were 21.8 percent for the year to date compared to 12.7 percent for the month of April. In Brazil, OE growth for the year was 23.2 percent, while April sales reached 25.3 percent. In replacement tyres however, April sales of 16 percent were lower than for the year to date at 22.1 percent.

At the time of writing, Michelin had not provided any data for truck tyres in Asia.

In the car tyre market, overall OE growth in Europe of 7.2 percent dived to minus 1 percent for April. While for replacement tyres, year to date growth of 10.9 percent sowed to 8.8 percent for the month.

In the Americas, North American OE sales were 10.2 percent for the year to date, but had eased to 6.8 percent for April while replacement tyres were 4.3 percent for the year and had significantly reduced to minus 2 percent in April. In Brazil, April OE sales were up 7.6 percent compared to 7.3 percent for the year to date. And in replacement tyres, year growth was 7.1 percent but jumped to 10.6 percent for April.

Michelin did not report any figures for Korea, Japan or south-east Asia but provided information about the Chinese car tyre market.

In China, OE sales for the year to date were 5.3 percent and had eased to just 1.3 percent for April. In replacement tyres, sales for the year were 23.2 percent and April sales were just slightly higher at 24.1 percent.