WASHINGTON—The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association is projecting that 2017 U.S. tire shipments will dip slightly to 318.1 million units, compared with 318.4 million in 2016.
USTMA expects OE passenger tire shipments to decrease 3.6 percent to 47.5 million units, compared with 2016, while passenger replacement tire shipments are projected to increase slightly to 210.5 million units for the year.
OE light truck tire shipments are expected to increase 5.6 percent to 5.2 million units while replacement LT tire shipments are predicted to drop 2 percent to 31.2 million units for the year.
Meanwhile, OE truck tire shipments are predicted to increase by 4.2 percent to 5.2 million units, while replacement truck tire shipments are projected to slip 0.5 percent to 18.5 million units for the year.