Global tyre sales remain weak in March - Michelin

ERJ staff report (DS)

Paris -- Michelin reports that replacement sales of truck tyres continued to decline in March in all markets except North America.

The company has updated its website with a limited regional breakdown of the growth in the global tyre industry. The site still only gives percentage changes from a year ago and ignores Asia. Data is given for March 2012.

In truck tyre markets, Europe OE demand declined, with negative growth (-2.8 percent) March. In the year to date, total growth is just 0.1 percent. On the replacement side, March 2012 saw a decline of 26.5 percent compared to the same month a year ago. This matches the year-to-date decline of -27 percent

In the Americas, North American OE truck tyre markets continued to grow, but last year's hectic growth is slowing sharply -- the year to date has seen an increase of 21.5 percent, but growth in the most recent month was just 9.4 percent. Replacement sales were down by 11.2 percent in the month of March and 10.2 percent in the year to date. In Brazil, OE sales fell by 15.8 percent in the month of March and by 28.1 percent in the first three months while the decline in replacement sales was lower at 3.3 percent in the year to date, but showed a small increase of 4.4 percent in March.

Michelin did not report sales outside these countries.

Car tyre markets were also weaker. Europe showed a decline of 5.3 percent in the OE market for the month, though the total increase in the first three months was 0.8 percent. On the replacement side, sales in March declined by 12.3 percent, contributing to the overall decline of 10.4 percent in the first three months.

In the Americas, North American OE markets rose by 25 percent in March, boosting the three-month growth to 22.1 percent. Replacement sales fell by 6.6 percent in March, matching the 6.5 percent decline seen in the the first quarter. In Brazil, OE sales grew by 5.8 percent in the most recent month bringing the decline in the first quarter to 3.3 percent. Replacement sales were up by 10.2 percent in March and by 4.7 percent in the first three months.

Michelin did not report sales outside these countries.

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Data page from Michelin