Nizhnekamskshina 1Q Tyre Production Down 48.5%

Russian tyre producer Nizhnekamskshina has reported that its first quarter 2009 tyre production was 48.5 per cent lower than during same period the year before. In the first quarter of 2009 the tyre manufacturer reportedly produced 1.505 million tyres. Nizhnekamskshina is one of the Russian market’s two most dominant truck tyre players, along with Sibur-Russian Tyres. Between them the two companies control approximately 80 per cent of domestic truck market sales.

However, the gap between Nizhnekamskshina and Sibur-Russian Tyres has narrowed considerable recently with Nizhnekamskshina registering a 15.7 per cent fall in full-year 2008 sales to 12.678 billion Russian rubles. While this remains a few hundred million rubles ahead of Sibur Russian Tyres in terms of sales, the two companies are estimated to be within one percentage point of one another in terms of truck tyre market share, with both parties controlling around 40 per cent of domestic market sales.