WASHINGTON—Original equipment light- and medium-truck tire demand, coupled with a growth in demand for replacement passenger and light truck tires, should positively impact total tire shipments this year, according to the latest predictions by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association.
Total tire shipments, USTMA said, should grow by about 0.7 percent to 332.9 million units in 2019. This is up from the 330.4 million units shipped last year.
Original equipment passenger tire shipments for 2019 are expected to fall by 1.9 percent, to 45.2 million from 47.1 million. Light truck tire shipments, meanwhile, should rise 6.3 percent, to 6 million from 5.6 million, and medium truck tire shipments will grow 3.7 percent, to 6.7 million from 6.5 million, the association said.
In replacement tires, medium truck shipments will decrease 11 percent, to 19.4 million from 21.8 million according to the USTMA.
Passenger replacement shipments, on the other hand, will grow 2.6 percent, to 223.6 million from 217.8 million, and replacement light truck shipments will increase 1 percent, to 32 million from 31.7 million.