PARIS (Jan. 19, 2012)—Tire sales in Europe, North America and Brazil were higher last year compared with 2010 in most categories, according to Michelin's latest market estimates.
The one exception was the North American passenger/light truck tire aftermarket, where Michelin estimates a drop of 1.2 percent. The French tire maker does not provide actual shipment figures, just percentages for growth or decline.
Demand for truck tires, in particular, was robust in all the regions tracked.
In North America, truck tire market demand was up 56.3 and 5.9 percent, respectively, for the original equipment and replacement markets. In Europe OE truck tire deliveries rose 34.5 percent and replacement sales were up 5.6 percent, while in Brazil growth was 20.7 percent at OE and 5.4 percent in the aftermarket.
Replacement passenger/light truck tire sales rose 5.4 and 3.3 percent in Europe and Brazil, respectively. OE consumer tire demand rose 10 percent in North America, 7 percent in Europe and 4.2 percent in Brazil.