Michelin reports July tyre industry data

Paris - According to the Michelin website, July was a strong month for tyre sales in both car and truck markets in Europe and China. In North America car tyre sales were strong, but truck tyre sales declined sharply.

Michelin said the total OE market for car tyres in the seven months to July 2007 were up by 3.8 percent in Europe, while the year-on-year figure for July alone was up by 10.6 percent. The site gives only percentage changes, not absolute numbers. For North America, the equivalent figures were a decline of 2.6 percent for the seven-month period and a year-on-year increase in July of 20.6 percent.

In the replacement business, Europe was slightly less strong, with the seven-month figures showing an increase of 1.4 percent and the one-month figures up by 4.9 percent. In North America, the market increased by 2.2 percent in the first seven months helped by an increase of 3.4 percent in the month of July.

In pasenger car tyres, China continues to boom, with sales up by 25 percent in July 2007 compared with July 2006 and the year-to-date figures showing a 19 percent increase.

The truck sector is more patchy with Europe and South America showing healthy growth, while North America falls sharply.

In Truck OE sales, Europe showed a 14.7 percent increase in the first seven months, helped by a 23 percent increase in July. The decline in North American truck OE sales continues to accelerte, with sales int he first seven months down by 26 percent, made worse by a 35 percent decline in July alone. IN Brazil, however, the first seven months showed a healthy 31 percent gain, matched by a 36 percent increase in July.

Truck replacement tyres showed a similar, though less extreme tendency. European truck tyre markets were up 5.7 percent in the first seven months, but just 2.3 percent in July. North America showed a decline of 4.1 percent in the year to July with a decline of 2.5 percent in the single month. The Brazil market however, grew by 14 percent in the first seven months helped by a 20 percent increase in July.

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Press release from Michelin