ETRMA reports “positive stability” in members’ 2014 sales

The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association reports that its members’ car, truck and two-wheel tyre sales increased year-on-year in 2014, while agricultural tyre sales were down. Results for the fourth quarter alone were less positive, and the ETRMA comments they “further confirmed the downturn in sales registered in the third quarter of the year.” The exception to this was sales of motorcycle tyres, which remained positive all the way through 2014. The association opines that the lower results towards the end of the year may be linked to lacklustre winter tyre sales due to the mild winters experienced on the continent for the last couple of years.

Total passenger car tyre sales from ETRMA members amounted to 196.96 million units in 2014, a 2.2 increase over 2013 sales. Combined truck tyre sales reached 9.18 million units, up 3.7 per cent year-on-year, and two-wheeler tyre sales rose 6.1 per cent to 8.39 million units. Agricultural tyre sales decreased 2.1 per cent for the year to 1.64 million units.

ETRMA member passenger car tyre sales sank 8.8 per cent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2014 and amounted to 40.0 million units, while truck tyre sales declined 2.5 per cent to 2.3 million units. Agricultural tyre sales were down 11.0 per cent to 290,000. Two-wheel tyre sales headed 1.6 per cent higher in the quarter, with sales reaching 1.0 million units.

“Nevertheless, the year-end results remain positive, due to the extremely good sales of the first half of 2014,” commented the ETMA, noting that the consumer tyre segment showed positive, albeit timid, growth after decreasing in 2012. The truck and bus tyre segment has now grown for two successive years. “Although this segment has not yet recovered from its double-dip crisis, a steady growth gives the industry reason to hope that pre-2008 figures could be once more attained,” stated ETRMA secretary general Fazilet Cinaralp.

Commenting on the market as a whole last year, Cinaralp said: “Although the early sales figures of 2014 made us hope in a year of much greater expansion of the market, the final results confirm a year of positive stability.”

The ETRMA’s tyre maker members include Apollo Vredestein, Bridgestone Europe, BRISA, Cooper Tires, Continental, Goodyear Dunlop Tires Europe, Hankook, Marangoni, Michelin, Mitas, Nokian tyres, Pirelli and Trelleborg Wheel Systems.