ETRMA figures – no growth in Q3 2016

Unit sales of replacement market car and two-wheeler tyres from members of the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association remained flat in the third quarter of 2016, while unit sales of aftermarket commercial vehicle and agricultural tyres declined.

The ETRMA’s 11 manufacturer members (10 when counting Trelleborg and Mitas as a single entity) produced 57.333 million tyres between them in the three months to 30 September 2016, some 20,000 more units than in the third quarter of 2015. Around 1,000 fewer motorcycle tyres produced by ETRMA members were sold during the quarter. Sales of truck tyres declined 2.5 per cent to 2.7686 million units during the third quarter of the year, while agricultural tyre sales fell 3.8 per cent year-on-year to 354,000 units.

When looking at the first nine months of 2016, figures for the consumer and truck segments remain positive, although the growth achieved in prior quarters has been almost entirely eroded by the most recent results. Between 1 January and 30 September 2016 a total of 159.907 million ETRMA member-manufactured car tyres were sold, a year-on-year increase of 1.3 per cent, while sales of truck tyres have risen 1.2 per cent to 7.232 million units. Motorcycle tyre sales are still up year-on-year, with the 7.914 million units sold to 30 September 2016 a 5.2 per cent increase on the first nine months of the previous year. Sales of agricultural tyres, on the other hand, are at 1.142 million units 6.3 per cent down.

Commenting on the results, ETRMA secretary general Fazilet Cinaralp commented: “The outlook for end of year results looks grimmer than it did after the first quarter, but a lot hangs on the results of October, usually one of the most tale telling months of the year.”