United States tread rubber shipments will grow by 2.3% this year, according to Rubber Manufacturers Association officials, who add that the forecast represents an increase of 230,000 units to 15.9 million retreaded tires.
"Growth in new commercial vehicles over the last couple of years, spurred by the 2007 EPA engine emissions standards, will begin to have a positive effect on the retread market.
"The retread tire potential may be limited by the difficulty in sourcing OTR tire casings as strong demand for those products continues."
Modern Tire Dealer magazine will take an in-depth look at the 100 top retreaders in the U.S. in its April 2007 issue.
