Global tyre markets continue to grow

Global tyre markets continue to grow
21 March 2011


Paris -- Michelin has published a regional breakdown of the growth in the global tyre industry. The group has trimmed its data, removing information from the middle East and Africa and merging east and west European data, and reducing South American data to cover Brazil only. Also data from Japan, Korea and South-east Asia has been restricted.

The site still only gives percentage changes from a year ago, but the data shows growth in all markets and nearly all regions. Data is given for February, and for the year to date, whichcovers just two months.

In truck tyre markets, Europe's growth of 87.6 percent in the OE market in the year to date slowed marginally in February to 86.0 percent. On the replacement side, growth in the first two months of 22.1 percent accelerated to 27.5 percent in February. The company has merged data for Western and Eastern Europe, reducing the number of regions it tracks.

In the Americas, North American OE markets rose by 56.5 percent in the year to date and accelerated marginally to 57.6 percent in the month of February, while replacement sales were up by 21 percent in the year to date and accelerated sharply to 29.9 percent in February. In Brazil, OE sales rose by 23.9 percent in the first two months, acclerating to 28.9 percent in February, while replacement sales were up by 27.9 percent in the year to date and by 33.9 percent in February.

In Asia, China saw a decline of 6.1 percent in OE sales in the year to date, but that reversed in February with 1.1 percent growth, while replacement sales were up by 9.9 percent in the year to date, but February sales were level with last year's. Michelin did not report sales in Japan, Korea or South-east Asia.

In car tyre markets, Europe showed growth of 8.6 percent in the OE market for the first two months, slowing to 6.3 percent in February. On the replacement side, growth in the year to date was 13.7 percent, more or less matched by growt of 12.8 percent in February.

In the Americas, North American OE markets rose by16.2 percent in the year to date and by 15.1 percent in February, while replacement sales were up by 8.0 percent in the year to date, but slowed sharply to 2.5 percent growth in February. In Brazil, OE sales rose by 7.9 percent in the year to date and by 10.9 percent in the most recent month, while replacement sales were up by 8.7 percent over the two months and by 10.9 percent in February.

In China OE car tyre sales increased by 7.9 percent in the year to date, but slowed somewhat to an increase of 4.7 percent in February, while replacement sales were up by 22.3 percent in the two months and maintained that growth with 21 percent reported in February.