RMA forecasts 2.2% growth for U.S. tire shipments this year

WASHINGTON, (April 16)—Total U.S. tire shipments will rise 2.2 percent this year to 315 million units, and grow at a similar rate on average annually through 2008, according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association. The trade group said shipments rose 2.6 percent last year, fueled by a high rate of light vehicle production, a rebound in commercial trucks and a strengthening U.S. economy. The RMA Tire Market Analysis Committee forecast a 1.6-percent decline in original equipment auto tire shipments this year after a booming 2002; 3 percent annual growth for OE light truck tires through 2008; a 7.3-percent rise in OE medium/widebase truck tire deliveries this year; and a 3 percent annual increase in aftermarket passenger tire shipments this year and in 2004.