Healthy European market growth in December

The latest market figures from Michelin were released on 23 January, and these show across the board year-on-year growth taking place within the European tyre market in December 2013. These results for Europe include the Russian and Turkish markets.

Original equipment passenger car and light truck tyre sales were eight per cent up on December 2012, while replacement market tyre sales expanded by one per cent. For full-year 2013, the original equipment passenger car and light truck tyre market was one per cent higher than in 2012, while the replacement passenger car tyre was one per cent down. Michelin noted that growing markets experienced a slight decline in Western Europe due to winter tyre sales.

Heavy truck tyre market growth was even more pronounced and experienced what Michelin called a ‘technical rebound’. In December, the original equipment market was 26 per cent above where it was a year earlier and the replacement tyre market was 12 per cent higher. Over the year as a whole, the original equipment tyre market was four per cent larger and the replacement tyre market nine per cent.

North America

Good news for the consumer tyre segment – and not so good news for truck tyres. The North American original equipment passenger car and light truck tyre market was four per cent up year-on-year in December 2013, while the replacement tyre market grew 13 per cent. For the full-year, both segments were five per cent up on 2012. The heavy truck tyre market decreased four per cent year-on-year in the original equipment segment in December 2013, while shrinkage in the replacement tyre segment was limited to one per cent. For full-year 2013, these markets were down seven per cent and two per cent respectively.

Brazil

While Brazil’s truck tyre market enjoyed robust growth in December and during 2013 as a whole, its passenger car and light truck tyre market delivered a mixed bag of results. A nine per cent year-on-year decline in the original equipment passenger car and light truck tyre market in the month of December tarnished otherwise good performance. The replacement passenger car and light truck tyre market was up ten per cent that month, and the original equipment and replacement tyre markets grew five and 14 per cent respectively last year compared with 2012. The heavy truck original equipment tyre market was up 68 per cent in December, and the replacement market was 15 per cent higher year-on-year. For all of 2013, the original equipment market grew 44 per cent on the previous year while the replacement market was 14 per cent higher.

China

Michelin’s market results for China only cover the passenger car and light truck tyre market. Original equipment tyre sales were up 20 per cent year-on-year in December 2013, while the replacement segment grew six per cent. During 2013 as a whole, the original equipment market grew five per cent and the replacement market 14 per cent.