Replacement tyre demand remains strong – ETRMA

The latest European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) data suggest 2021 was “a positive year of recovery for the industry”, especially in the replacement sector. The biggest drop was in the Original Equipment (OE) consumer tyres segment (down 8 per cent) mainly due to the ongoing new vehicle chip shortage.

For its part, the OE truck segment saw growth of 25 per cent.

In the replacement market, apart from agricultural which recorded a 3 per cent fall, there was generally strong demand. This was largely driven by increased demand for all-season (+35%) and winter (+9%) tyres.

The replacement truck and motorbike segments registered increases of 12 per cent and 14 per cent respectively.

“Despite a very challenging environment, manufacturers are facing multiple opportunities as the sector is rapidly transforming in response to new developments in vehicle technology, mobility, and regulatory policies” said Fazilet Cinaralp, Secretary General of ETRMA, adding: “Our sector has been resilient through the pandemic, and we look forward for this positive trend to be confirmed and the growth to consolidate in 2022, back to 2019 volumes”.