Tire Industry Research website has published a preliminary ranking of the leading tire makers based on their sales volumes and operating data over 2018.
The ranking is limited to 30 positions, its key feature being the fact that for many of the Chinese tire manufacturers, official data from the stock market was used, and not the data provided by CRIA (China Rubber Industry Association).
Struggling for leadership
In 2018, Michelin acquired the Canadian company Camso that specializes in manufacture and distribution of OTR tires. Camso’s net sales, which at the moment were reported to be $1 billion, could easily help this French tire maker wrestle down its many-year rival Bridgestone. However, the miracle did not happen, and the Japanese corporation managed to keep its leading position in the 2018 ranking of tire manufacturers, Michelin still breathing down its neck.
Otherwise, however, the balance of power in the top five remained the same says the technical expert (Shina.Guide)
The third place was scored by Goodyear, the fourth by Continental, the fifth by Sumitomo. Each of the companies boosted its sales figures, Michelin most of all — by 4.3%.
Changes in the TOP-15 ranking of tire makers 2018
Here is where it becomes interesting, though! The Korean Hankook was still able to outstrip Pirelli. Possibly, this has something to do with the fact that Pirelli has moved the production of truck and farm vehicle tires to a separate division.
Yokohama was also able to break even. Even in spite of the fact that its sales shrank by 3.8%.
China’s Hangzhou Zhongce, more commonly known as ZC Rubber, thanks to its skyrocketing sales (+18.3%) was able to outdo Taiwan’s Cheng Shin, swapping places with it.
Toyo and Cooper were able to move one line upwards in the tournament bracket, while India’s Apollo over the year hopped over three lines at once.
In spite of the drop in sales and various difficulties that it ran into (specifically, the acquisition of a large portfolio of its shares by China’s Doublestar), one of the pillars of the Korean tire industry, Kumho, managed to hold its 14th place.
India’s MRF also stood its ground, throwing anchor at the 15th place of the tournament bracket.
Local struggle
Still more changes took place in 2018 beyond the limits of the TOP-15 ranking of tire manufacturers. One step forward was made by Linglong, Sailun, Nokian, Nexen and Titan. The latter comes at the end of TOP-20, yet with one reservation: the preliminary list does not include Giti, which used to occupy the 17th position.
The third ten of the 2018 ranking of tire manufacturers was stormed by the Chinese companies Double Coin, Triangle, Xingyuan, Aeolus, Guizhou Tire, and Prinx Chengshan. However, their plans were thwarted by the Indian JK Tyre, Ceat and BKT, along with Sweden’s Trelleborg.
The Disappearance
Singapore’s Giti dropped out of the ranking to vanish into thin air. We will repeat ourselves by saying that this ranking from Tire Industry Research is a preliminary one, and in its earlier version, which was published in March, this company did occupy the 17th position with a sales volume of 2001 M USD. Therefore, after the information about Giti is verified, the balance of power in the second ten of the ranking may change.
We are stressing yet again that the global tire rankings are usually published in late summer. They are compiled not only by Tire Industry Research but also by other industry publications. Incidentally, the balance of power in the NRZ (Neue Reifenzeiting) 2017 is partially different from the vision and the data from Tire Industry Research.
