WASHINGTON—Buoyed by strong aftermarket demand for truck and bus tires, U.S. tire shipments are expected to increase slightly this year over 2019 to 333.2 million units, according to the latest forecast from the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association.
Aftermarket shipments of truck and bus tires are projected to rise 2.1 percent this year over last to 19.3 million units, the USTMA said without offering any explanation for its forecast.
This market segment represents the strongest growth sector among those the USTMA tracks, and will help offset a projected 9.4 percent drop in OE truck and bus tires shipments to 5.9 million units, the USTMA data shows.
Replacement market car and light truck tire shipments are expected to rise 0.4 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively, to 223.4 million and 32.7 million units, the USTMA said.
Original equipment passenger tire shipments are forecast to fall 0.6 percent to 46 million units, the USTMA said, while OE light truck tire shipments should stay even at 5.9 million.
Overall replacement tire shipments should rise 0.5 percent this year to 275.4 million units, while total OE tire shipments are expected to fall 1.5 percent to 57.8 million units.
The overall combined figure of 333.2 million units is 0.1 percent ahead of 2019.
The USTMA's forecasts are based on input from its 13 tire company members.