Tire Demand on Decline in Japan

TOKYO – Japanese automobile-tire demand will fall 3.0% to 113.1 million units in 2015, the Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Assn. predicts.

Including an estimated 5.1 million tires for motorcycles and construction equipment, total tire deliveries also will dip 3.0%, to 118.2 million.

Demand for original equipment tires is projected to fall 5.0% to 42.7 million units, from 44.8 million in 2014, while replacement-tire sales should slide 2.0% to 70.3 million.

By type, car tires are expected to total 86.7 million units, including aftermarket sales, down 4.0%. Demand for light- and heavy-duty truck tires is projected to decline 1.0% and 2.0%, respectively, to 19.8 million and 6.6 million units.

JATMA projects a 5.0% drop in OE passenger-tire sales to 35.6 million units, along with 2.0% and 4.0% reductions in light- and heavy-duty OE truck tire demand to 5.8 million and 1.3 million units, respectively.

The tire association's forecast reflects its projection for new-vehicle production in Japan. JATMA says Japanese auto makers will produce 9,300,000 vehicles in 2015, down 4.0% from an estimated 9,722,000 units in 2014.