U.S. tire shipments head south in October

WASHINGTON (Jan. 3)—Sluggish passenger and heavy truck tire shipments combined in October to push overall U.S. tire shipments lower than the year-earlier month for the first time in 1999. Total U.S. tire shipments dropped to 31.2 million units in October 1999 from 31.8 million units in 1998, a 1.7-percent skid. Overall tire shipments in Canada went the opposite direction of U.S. figures, ballooning 15.4 percent in October 1999 compared with October 1998 to 2.38 million units from 2.06 million units.