FRENCH tyre maker Michelin’s global tyre sales were higher in 2011 compared with the previous year.
In truck tyre markets, Europe’s growth in the OE market continues to slow, with growth in the full year of 34.5%, though year-on-year growth in December was negative, at 4.2% below the same month of the previous year. On the replacement side, growth in the full twelve months of 2011 of 5.6% weakened sharply in the last few months, with the December figure down by 12%.
In the Americas, North American OE truck tyre markets continued to grow, but at a slightly slower rate than the hectic growth seen earlier in the year — the full year saw an increase of 56.3% and growth of 41.2% in the month of December. Replacement sales were up by 5.9% in the full year, but fell by 8.4% in the month of December. In Brazil, OE sales rose by 20.7% in the first twelve months, and the growth rate accelerated to 37.6% in December, while replacement sales were up by 5.4% in the year to date but fell by 5% in December.(PRA)
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