Passenger, light truck and truck tire shipments were down across the board in the first half, according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA). Combined, they were down nearly 20% compared to the first half of 2008.
Through June, replacement passenger tire shipments were down 11.9% compared to the first six months of 2008. Original equipment shipments fared even worse, dropping a whopping 54.3%, from 21.5 million units in 2008 to 9.8 million units.
Replacement and original equipment light truck tire shipments were down 18.8% and 11.8%, respectively. Medium and heavy truck tire shipments were down 21.7% and 45.5%, respectively.
Domestic shipments, 1H 2009 vs. 1H 2008
* Passenger: 97.2 million units, down 19.4%.
* Light truck:: 13.7 million units, down 18.1%.
* Truck: 6.9 million units, down 26.9%.
Overall, the RMA's Tire Market Analysis Committee projects full-year tire shipments will decline approximately 13% in 2009 compared to 2008.
