Thought Leadership
Original perspectives from Radial Insights' research and consulting teams on the trends shaping the global tire industry
Drawing on our dual track methodology, 284 plant database, and ongoing programme of 50 to 80 expert interviews per study, our analysts examine the shifts in trade policy, materials, technology and manufacturing strategy that matter most to tire industry decision makers. New articles are published regularly, check back soon or subscribe for updates.
All-Season Tires Took 36% of Germany's Replacement Sales in 2024, Up From 14% in 2016
All-season tires took about 36% of German replacement tire sales in 2024, up from 14% in 2016, per BRV data. Car all-season units rose 6.1% in 2025 while winter fell 7.8%, putting all-season at an estimated 38.9% share, ahead of winter.
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Exports Took 18% of US Scrap Tires in 2025, Up From 5% in 2023, Led by India
US scrap tire exports rose from 253,000 to 936,000 tons between 2023 and 2025, lifting their share of generation to 18.2%. India took 67.7% of US rubber scrap exports, while domestic fuel, crumb and aggregate markets shrank by 421,000 tons.
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Compounded Rubber Rose From 18% to 43% of India's Rubber Imports in Six Years
Compounded rubber rose from 18.2% to 43.2% of India's natural plus compounded rubber imports between 2019-20 and 2025-26. Natural rubber imports fell 16.7% last year, but combined imports rose 1.5% as ASEAN compound entering at 0% to 5% duty replaced block rubber.
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Thai Tire Dumping Duties Fell From 17.06% to 2.90% as US Reviews the 2021 Orders
The US antidumping rate on most Thai passenger and light truck tires fell from 17.06% in 2021 to 2.90% by July 2026, with 1.14% proposed for 2024-25. Commerce still projects 21.09% if the order ends, and Hankook's Korean rate rose to 13.03% as the ITC opens full sunset reviews.
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Cars of 2,000 kg or More Rose From 5.7% to 16.5% of New EU Registrations
Cars weighing 2,000 kg or more took 16.5% of new EU registrations in 2025, up from 5.7% in 2020. Battery-electric cars made up 51.4% of that heavy segment, and the first UN tire abrasion limits start to apply to new passenger tire types in mid-2028.
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TSR20 Rubber Rose 38.5% in a Year While US Tire Producer Prices Rose 0.7%
Tire-grade TSR20 rubber averaged $2.41/kg in September 2026, 38.5% above a year earlier, while the US tire producer price index rose just 0.7%. ANRPC now projects a 317,000-tonne 2026 supply shortfall and Brent averaged $116.8. We map who absorbs the gap.
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Nokian's Passenger Tire Margin Rose From -3.1% to 9.4% in Three Years Without Russia
Nokian Tyres' Passenger Car Tyres margin climbed from -3.1% in 2022 to 9.4% in 2025 and 10.8% in H1 2026 after the Russia exit. We track the Oradea ramp-up, regional shifts and what buyers should watch on 27 October.
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Big-Rim Tires Rose From 32% to 48% of Hankook's Car Tire Sales in Six Years
Tires with rims of 18 inches and larger rose from 32% of Hankook's passenger car and light truck sales in 2019 to 47.8% in 2025. Michelin's brand is at 68%. With unit demand flat, rim-size mix is now the main source of tire revenue growth.
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Orion's Rubber Carbon Black EBITDA Fell 57% in H1 2026 as Tire Contracts Reset
Orion's Rubber Carbon Black adjusted EBITDA fell 57% to $38.2 million in H1 2026 while volumes held steady. SEC filings from Orion and Cabot show 2026 tire supply contracts, not demand, drove the margin reset, and both are now closing capacity.
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Imports Hold 70% of Brazil's Replacement Tire Market, Up From 34% in 2019
Imported tires took 70% of Brazil's replacement market in January-August 2026, up from 34% in 2019. Imports rose 58.3% while Brazilian plants' replacement sales fell 13.3%. We break down segments, China's 81% share, tariff steps and buyer implications.
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India Supplies 78% of the Farm Tires the EU Imports, Up From 59% in 2019
India supplied 77.6% of the value of agricultural tires the EU imported in 2025, up from 58.5% in 2019. Eurostat data show Indian tires carry a 43% price premium, Israel's supply vanished after the Hadera closure, and China grew 37% in 2026.
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Australia Recovers 66% of Its Used Tires, but Only 16% Is Processed at Home
Australia recovered 66% of its 537,000 tonnes of used tires in 2023-24, but domestic recovery has stayed at 14% to 17% for five years. Exports carry 75% of recovered tonnes, mining tires are mostly buried, and Parliament has just tabled 12 recommendations.
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CĂ´te d'Ivoire's Share of Malaysia's Rubber Imports Fell From 38% to 15% Since 2023
CĂ´te d'Ivoire supplied 14.9% of Malaysia's natural rubber imports in January-July 2026, down from 37.8% in 2023. With Ghana and Liberia now banning raw rubber exports, Malaysian processors that import 2.6 times their own output face a shrinking West African feedstock channel.
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China's Share of EU Car Tire Imports Fell From 58% to 22% in a Year
China's share of extra-EU passenger car tire imports fell from 58.1% in July 2025 to 21.7% in July 2026 as duties of 4.3% to 45.3% took effect. Total imports fell far less: Thailand, Vietnam and Serbia added 8.79 million units in six months.
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USTMA Cut Its 2026 US Tire Forecast by 8.6 Million Units: Trucks Took 22% of the Cut
USTMA lowered its 2026 US tire shipment forecast by 8.6 million units to 330.3 million. Truck tires absorbed 22% of the cut despite holding 8.7% of volume, as replacement truck shipments swing far harder than freight.
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Japan's Silica Shift: How Fuel-Efficient Tyres Went From 30% to 84% of the Market
Japan's 15-year fuel-efficiency labeling data shows how silica-silane compounding cut rolling resistance by 20.6%, and where the next gains, in retreading, are still untapped.
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South Korea's Steel Tire Cord Squeeze: Inside the Bain Capital–Hyosung Deal
South Korea's tire cord makers are running near capacity as Hyosung sells its steel cord unit to Bain Capital in a $1.1B deal - what it means for tire makers and supply.
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China's Synthetic Rubber Buildout Is Redrawing Tire Feedstock Economics
China now controls about 29% of global synthetic rubber capacity, and Sinopec's output is up 18.6% year on year. Here is what the butadiene buildout means for tire feedstock costs worldwide.
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India's Tyre EPR Mandate Is Rewiring the Recycling Value Chain
A Radial Insights analysis of India's tyre EPR mandate: now at full obligation, with certificate trading, recycler registration gaps, and highway bitumen demand reshaping the value chain for OEMs, recyclers, and investors.
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Navigating Natural Rubber Markets Under EUDR Pressure
Why an 18% procurement cost swing over the next 24 months isn't a macro forecasting problem - it's a facility-by-facility compliance mapping problem, and the buyers who treat it as one will be the ones who win the margin.
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