The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers Association recently its Statistics 2015 edition, a report on the region’s rubber and tyre market.
The main findings of the report include the following:
General Rubber Goods (GRG):
- After a slow 2013, the GRG production trend of European main producer countries became positive again in 2014.
- The first three GRG producers in the world remain European and their sales keep growing steadily.
- The trade balance of GRG is increasingly positive. However, when comparing tons of goods imported and exported, the imports nearly double the exports.
Tyres:
- Tyre production in Europe increased in 2014, matching the level of 2011, the best post crisis year to date.
- The EU tyre market has globally increased in 2014. However, in all four segments, this has benefited tyre imports rather than EU-produced tyres. This is particularly evident for truck and bus tyres: the total EU market grew by 15 percent, whilst ETRMA members’ EU-produced tyres sales decreased by 1 percent.
- The retreaded tyre market decreased for the fourth consecutive year, and in 2015 it is estimated to plunge a further 10 percent reaching 4.2 million tyres.
- China remains the main tyre importer in the EU and growing steadily, whilst the EU mainly exports to NAFTA and Eurasia.
More detailed information can be found in the full report attached and available on ETRMA’s website in electronic format.