Bumpy first quarter for European tire sector

Brussels, – The European tire industry experienced mixed fortunes in the first quarter amid increasing concern over Chinese imports, the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association has reported.

Replacement sales figures from ETRMA members for the first three months of 2015 show that the consumer segment grew by an encouraging 2 percent compared to the same period last year.

“Whilst timid, [this performance] marks a turn-around compared to the last quarter of 2014 (-9 percent),” the Brussels-based Association commented in a 15 April statement.

However, the gains, which included a 7-percent growth in the motorcycle tire segment were significantly offset by declines in sales of truck tires and agricultural tires.

The performance of the truck tire market was “the most noteworthy” particularly as sales in the segment have been decreasing since mid-2014, noted Fazilet Cinaralp, secretary general of the ETRMA.

“At the same time, imports for this segment in the same period to the EU, and in particular from China, have increased markedly over the last 12 months and continued to increase in January 2015," said Cinaralp.