Imports cloud horizon for European tire sector

Brussels – The European tire industry has shrugged off a range of negative market factors to record a generally positive start to 2016, figures from the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association show. Concerns, though, remain about the growing threat posed by cheap imports, particularly from China.

Tire replacements sales of its ETRMA member companies for the first quarter of 2016, indicate a “good level” of activity on the EU market, said a 14 April release from the ETRMA, which new expects a “certain stability” in the sales trends for the rest of the year.

More generally, though, ETRMA reported that the pressure from imports remained high in 2015.

Overall EU imports of truck and bus tires increased 10 percent. China remained the main exporter to the EU, with a 12-percent share.

Consumer tire imports into the EU, meanwhile, increased by 6 percent, with those from China 9 percent higher, the association also reported.

Chinese exports to Europe have been consistently growing in recent years, said Fazilet Cinaralp, secretary general of ETRMA. This, she added. is despite a decrease of Chinese exports of 4 percent

"This confirms the high exposure of the European tire market to competition from third countries, whilst other parts of the world are putting in place protective measures," commented Cinaralp,