Tyre market growth eased in June

ERJ staff report (DS)

Milan, Italy -- Pirelli has updated its website with tyre sales in different regions for the month of June and the first six months of 2011. Truck and OE markets continued to do well, while tyre volumes in Japan appeared to be up strongly, after two months of poor performance after the March earthquake there.

The company reports only percentage changes, not absolute numbers.

Pirelli said European truck tyre replacement sales increased by 14 percent in the first six months, but the June figure was an increase of just 2 percent compared with a year ago. European OE figures were not availble, but May data showed a recovery from April's dip, showing an increase of 67 percent in the year to date and 60 percent in May, up from just 16 percent growth the previous month.

OE truck tyre sales in the NAFTA region also maintained their recovery, increasing by 59 percent in the year to date, and by 54 percent in the most recent month, a growth rate consistent with the earlier part of the yearl. On the replacement side, however the slowdown in sales continued, with an increase of 10 percent in the first six months but sales were the same as last year in the second quarter and just 3 percent ahead in the month of June. Sales data for the Mercosur region showed OE sales up by 3 percent in the first six months, and 13 percent growth in the month of June. On the replacement side, growth in the year to date was 6 percent, with the June figure up by just 1 percent. China data for June was not available.

Replacement sales in Japan showed 17 percent growth over the first six months of 2011 though the replacement figure was up by 10 percent in the month of June, showing a continued post-tsunami recovery from the 18 percent decline seen in March.

In the car and light truck segment, sales were less healthy. European OE sales were up by 7 percent for the first six months, but remained level in the month of June. Replacement sales were up by 4 percent in the year to date and at the same level as last year in June.

North American (NAFTA) sales of car and light truck tyres grew. On the replacement side, sales in the six months were up by just 1 percent, pulled down by a decline of 1 percent in June. OE figures were not available. In the Mercosur region, OE sales were up by 8 percent in the first six months with an increase of 7 percent in the month of June. Replacement sales were again weak, with the year so far down by 2 percent on the same period in 2010, but down by 5 percent in the month of June.

Sales data from China were not yet available and will be updated in the coming days. Japanese sales of replacement tyres grew by 15 percent in the first six months helped by an increase of 7 percent in the month of June.

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Press release from Pirelli