China tire exports to EU slump ahead of duties imposition

Brussels – China's share of passenger car and light truck (PC/LT) tire imports into the EU ‘fell sharply’ during the first five months of 2026, as importers shifted sourcing to Southeast Asia ahead of EU anti-dumping duties on Chinese products.

China accounted for 58.1% of EU27+UK PC/LT tire imports during the January-May period, down from 71.8% a year earlier and effectively returning to its 2019 market share of 59.9%, according to a 6 Aug report prepared by Astutus Research for Tyres Europe.

Overall PC/LT tire imports into the EU27+UK declined 6% year-on-year to 67 million units, with Chinese shipments falling 24% to 39 million units.

ASEAN suppliers filled much of the gap, almost tripling their share of imports to 19.9% from 7.6% a year earlier.

Thailand led the increase, with exports rising 156% to 6 million tires from around 2 million a year earlier, while Vietnam increased shipments 130% to more than 3 million tires.

Cambodia also emerged as a significant supplier, exporting 2.3 million tires from a near-zero base in 2025, the report said.

According to the report, many of the additional ASEAN shipments originate from factories owned by Chinese tire manufacturers, while imports from Korea and Japan remained broadly stable at a combined 14.6% market share.

Within the EU27 alone, Chinese imports declined even more sharply as buyers built inventories ahead of the duties.

The report said importers stockpiled tires during the first three quarters of 2025 amid concerns the duties would be applied retroactively, with China accounting for around 70% of EU imports during that period.

As inventories were subsequently drawn down, Chinese import volumes fell 57% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, reducing China's share of EU27 imports to 42%.

Chinese volumes then stabilised during the first two months of the second quarter, lifting the January-May share to 51%.

Imports from other countries increased by around 40% in both the first and second quarters.

This, however, did not entirely offset the decline in Chinese shipments, leaving total EU27 imports 11% lower year-on-year over the five-month period.

In early July, the European Commission concluded its anti-dumping investigation into Chinese PCLT tires, imposing definitive duties of 4.3-45.3% for an initial five-year period, effective 18 July, with no retroactive application.

The report noted that the UK remains outside the EU tariff regime, with China's share of UK tire imports holding at around 75%, supporting China's higher share across the combined EU27+UK market.