Magazine for the professional tire industry
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43 www.moderntiredealer.com By Bob Ulrich W ith nearly half the year in the history books, truck tire market share trends are starting to take shape. Chinese manufacturers, for example, continue to increase their truck tire exports to the United States. Japanese manufacturers appear to have recovered com- pletely from the 2011 East Japan Earthquake that signifcantly reduced truck tire shipments to the U.S. In contrast, South Korean producers have decreased truck tire exports from their homeland by 1%. Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. is again making truck tires at its joint venture plant, Cooper Chengshan (Shandong) Tire Co. Ltd., following a six-month strike. Cooper was one of many tire companies showcasing their latest tires at the 2014 Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) in Louisville, Ky., in late March. Modern Tire Dealer estimates replace- ment truck tire shipments will rise 3% in 2014, to 16 million units. Based on that assessment, here are our market share updates for the frst half of 2014. (Last December, the Rubber Manufactur- ers Association forecast a nearly 2% increase, to 15.9 million units.) U.S. imports Domestic truck tire imports were up more than 22% through the frst quarter of the year. At this rate, they will set a record for the number of U.S. truck tire imports in a year. Imports from China, which repre- sent 60% of the total number of truck tire imports, were up 19% for the frst quarter. Imports from Japan, however, were up nearly 75%. Here are the top fve truck tire exporters to the U.S., and their frst-quarter 2014 shipments compared to 1Q 2013. R ank/country % increase 1. China 19% 2. Canada 9% 3. Japan 75% 4. Tailand 70% 5. United Kingdom 28% Te percentage of radial truck tires was up, too. Tey now represent 95.5% of all truck tire imports, with China the No. 1 exporter. 2014 MATS At MATS, many manufacturers in- troduced truck tires, with fuel-efcient and wide-base tires in the spotlight. Continental Tire the Americas LLC showcased more new tires than any other company. It introduced fve, including the Conti Hybrid HS3, a combination steer/all-position tire designed for both regional and long- haul applications. Te Continental brand accounts for 5% of the U.S. market, but has increased its domestic capacity by 20% over the last year. Te General brand has a 3% share. Yokohama Tire Corp. and Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. introduced three truck tires each. Te Yokohama and Toyo brands represent 10% and 2.5% of the market, respectively. Four years ago, Toyo held a 4.5% share of the U.S. replacement truck tire market when it manufactured truck tires as part of the joint venture GTY (for General, Toyo and Yokohama) plant in Mount Vernon, Ill. In 2011, Toyo parted ways with Continental and Yokohama, losing signifcant market share. Te East Japan Earthquake also hurt the company. Michelin North America Inc. (Michelin X One Line Energy T wide-base), Hankook Tire America Corp. (Smart Flex DL12 regional/long-haul drive), Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (G505D Fuel Max long- haul) and TBC Corp. (Sailun S606 EFT; DynaCargo line) also introduced new truck tires at MATS. Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. re-introduced the Roadmaster RM234 and RM254 premium regional tires it launched at MATS in 2013. The strike at the joint venture plant in China not only curtailed the launch, but also was responsible for cuting the company's truck tire market share in half —from 3% at one point in 2013 to 1.5%. Cooper's market share is expected to rebound by the end of this year. Mike Simon, vice president of marketing in North America, says production at the facility is "back to normal." ■ Brand shares Truck tire market share Here are the frst-half winners and losers 2014 U.S. REPLACEMENT MEDIUM/ HEAVY TRUCK TIRE BRAND SHARES (Full-year estimate: 16 million units) Brand 1st half 2014 Michelin 18.0% Bridgestone 17.5% Goodyear 12.5% Yokohama 10.0% Firestone 8.0% Continental 5.0% Double Coin 4.0% General 3.0% Hankook 3.0% Hercules 3.0% Toyo 2.5% BFGoodrich 2.0% Dunlop 2.0% Dynatrac 2.0% Roadmaster 1.5% Sailun 1.5% Sumitomo 1.5% Gladiator 1.0% Kelly 1.0% Kumho 1.0% Others 2.5% Source: Modern Tire Dealer statistics Yokohama introduced two wide-base tires at MATS, including the SmartWay-verifed 902L Ultra Wide Base regional drive tire.