Chinese tyre makers, already the dominant players in the U.S. tyre import/export arena, strengthened their position considerably last year, raising their exports of passenger and light truck tyres to the U.S. by 55.8 and 75.8 percent, respectively, over 2012.
Passenger tyre imports from China exceeded 46 million units last year, an all-time high, accounting for one in three car tyre imports and representing about 22 percent of all replacement market shipments during the year, according to Tire Business’ analysis of the 2013 Commerce Department and Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) data.
2013 was the first full year of business for the Chinese tyre makers since the expiration in September 2012 of the three-year run of elevated U.S. tariffs on imports of consumer tyres from China.
The 46 million units imported last year eclipsed the previous high of 39.6 million, set in 2008.
Overall passenger tyre imports rose 13.6 percent to 143.7 million units, shattering the previous record of 126.5 million set last year, the Commerce Department data show. The gain is due mostly to three countries — China, Indonesia (up 16.7 percent) and Taiwan (up 22.7 percent), which all recorded double-digit gains.
Those gains offset declines in shipments from South Korea (down 16.4 percent), Japan (down 8.7 percent) and Brazil (down 37.1 percent).
Considering the RMA estimated the U.S. replacement market last year at 199.1 million units, imports represented more than 70 percent.
The average declared customs value of an imported passenger tyre last year fell 9.8 percent to $54.47, reflecting the surge in shipments from China and Taiwan, whose tyres averaged $38.06 and $34.73, respectively. By contrast, the average value of a tyre from Germany was $109.63, according to the Commerce Department data.
Imports of light truck tyres from China shot up to 5.28 million units last year, contributing to a 17.6-percent jump in overall imports in this category, to 24.7 million units.
Canada remained the No. 1 source of light truck tyre imports, at 9.51 million units, up slightly over 2012. Other nations to register double-digit gains in light truck tyre shipments to the U.S. were South Korea (up 16.7 percent), Japan (up 31 percent), Chile (an eightfold increase), Indonesia (up 138.5 percent) and Taiwan (19.2 percent).
At 24.7 million units, imports accounted for more than 85 percent of the U.S. replacement market last year.
Source: Tire Business
Published: 18 Mar 2014