The RMA numbers are in -- and up

Feb. 14, 2011

The Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) released the preliminary edition of its "2011 Factbook" on Feb. 14. Compared to 2009, the numbers are up in every broad category.

In the domestic replacement market, passenger tire shipments were up 6.2% (from 189.5 million to 201.3 million) , while light truck tire shipments were up 5.8% (from 27.5 million to 29.1 million). Truck and bus tires were up 22.4% (from 12.9 million to 15.8 million).

Original equipment shipments also rose in each segment. Passenger tire shipments were up 34.5% (to 33.1 million), light truck tire shipments were up 28.5% (to 3.6 million) and truck tire shipments were up 33.3% (to 3.2 million).

Consumer (passenger and light truck) and commercial (medium, heavy and wide-base) tire exports were up, while imports were way up. Overall RMA production for all three categories was up 15%.

Of all the categories broken out in the preliminary "Factbook," only replacement "traction and snow tread" shipments were down, from 8.8 million to 8.7 million (see "RMA tire breakdown: summer vs. winter").

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