European OE tyre sales down -18 to -23% in 2020 – ETRMA

The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) published its members’ sales for the year 2020 as well as the last quarter of 2020, reporting that Covid 19 “strong affected” the market. The Original Equipment (OE) segments were said to have been “most strongly affected”, recording reductions of -23 per cent in the consumer tyre business and -18 per cent in truck tyres. That much is logical in light of the widespread closure of vehicle manufacturing under pandemic-related lockdown conditions across Europe during 2020.

Car tyre retail sales were said to have been hit by a -12 per cent decline during 2020, made up of -20 per cent in the winter car tyre business and -13 per cent in the car summer tyre market. All season car tyre sales were up 5 per cent. While such figures make unpleasant reading at any time, they are actually better than the 20 to 26 per cent range predicted by premium tyre manufactures during the first quarter of 2020 and indeed better than the UK sell out data looked like in August 2020.

Meanwhile, the truck tyres segment registered a -4 per cent, and on two-wheel tyre sales were said to have been down 9 per cent. Agricultural
tyre sales, however, performed steadily with no change compared to last year. And in addition, the ETRMA is suggesting that its Q4 2020 figures point to “a slow restart of the activity, with the Agricultural Tyres sector driving it, followed by the moto and scooter segment, and truck tyres, while the consumer market remains negative.”

“The Covid-19 pandemic, the repeated lockdowns and mobility restrictions consequently imposed, together with the economic crisis that followed, with the closure of some plants, have strongly impacted the tyre sector, not only in terms of sales but also in terms of jobs lost” said Fazilet Cinaralp, Secretary General of ETRMA, adding: “Unfortunately the huge drop in the OE consumer tyres is not a surprise and is a direct consequence of the 23.7 per cent contraction announced for 2020 by the EU passenger car industry due to Covid-19 pandemic”.

Car tyre retail sales were said to have been hit by a -12 per cent decline during 2020, made up of -20 per cent in the winter car tyre business and -13 per cent in the car summer tyre market (Source: ETRMA)