BRUSSELS—Aftermarket shipments of passenger tires in Europe fell 2.9 percent in the first quarter of 2019 versus the year-ago quarter, according to figures published by European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers' Association.
Replacement volumes for consumer tires fell to 50.8 million units for the three months ended March 31.
Shipments of replacement truck tires, on the other hand, performed more strongly, up 9.2 percent to 2.6 million units. The improvement reconfirmed the 2018 full-year trend, as did a positive trend in agricultural tire sales, the ETRMA said.
Moto and scooter tire replacement sales built on prior quarter gains, with a 4.6 percent improvement for the three month period.
Overall, the trend seems to follow a similar pattern to 2018, which saw low sales in the first quarter and recovery in the following months, the association noted.
"It remains uncertain whether the recovery in second quarter will balance out the decline registered in the first quarter," the ETRMA said.
The ETRMA's data cover 29 European countries, stretching from Ireland in the west to Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and the Baltic states in the east.