Tyre markets continue to grow in April

ERJ staff report (DS)

Milan, Italy -- Pirelli has updated its website with tyre sales for the month of April and the first four months of 2011. Japan and other countries saw significant declines in April, almost certainly due to the effects of the 11 March earthquake and tsunami.

The company reports truck tyre sales still growing around the world, but sales of car tyres easing. The company reports only percentage changes, not absolute numbers.

Pirelli said European truck tyre replacement sales increased by 16 percent in the first four months, but the April figure was up by 13 percent compared with a year ago. European OE figures slowed sharply, showing an increase of 69 percent in the year to date but just 16 percent in April, down from 70 percent growth the previous month.

OE truck tyre sales in the NAFTA region also slowed significantly, increasing by 59 percent in the year to date, but just 17 percent in the most recent month, compared with 61 percent growth in March. On the replacement side sales also slowed, with an increase iof 17 percent in the first four months but just 2 percent in April. Sales data for the Mercosur region was not available. Neither was the China data

Replacement sales in Japan showed 20 percent growth over the first four months of 2011 though the replacement figure was up by 15 percent in the month of April, showing a significant post-tsunami recovery from the 18 percent decline seen last month..

In the car and light truck segment, sales were significantly less healthy. European OE sales were up by 8 percent for the first four months, but moved into negative territory, with a 2 percent decline in the month of April. Replacement sales were up by 5 percent in the year to date but down by 3 percent in April.

North American (NAFTA) sales of car and light truck tyres grew, but also at a slower rate. On the replacement side, sales in the four months were up by 4 percent, despite a decline of 3 percent in April. On the OE side, the first four months saw growth of 13 percent, while April sales increased by just 2 percent. In the Mercosur region, OE sales were up by 8 percent in the first four months with an increase of 6 percent in the month of April. Replacement sales were weaker, down by 3 percent in the year so far and down by 6 percent in the month of April.

Sales data from China were not yet available and will be updated in the coming days. Japanese sales of replacement tyres fell by 2 percent in the first four months and fell by 8 percent in the month of April, as the impact of the 11 March earthquake took hold.

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