AKRON-The United States again ranks as the world's No. 1 tire-producing nation, according to data gathered in compiling TIRE BUSINESS' 1995 Global Tire Report. Riding a 2.5-percent rise in overall production, the U.S. manufactured 243.4 million tires-201.1 million passenger and 42.3 million truck tires-in 1994.
Stateside truck tire manufacturing jumped 5.8 percent for the year.
Japan finished a distant second, making nearly 95 million passenger tires and 41.1 million truck tires.
Japan's overall production dipped 2.9 percent to 136.1 million.
France surpassed China for the No. 3 slot, recording a 3.2-percent rise in output to 57.7 million passenger and truck. China produced a total of 55 million passenger and truck tires during the year.
South Korea moved ahead of Germany to No. 5 in overall production. Registering a 13.7-percent rise in output, South Korea made almost 48.2 million tires in 1994, compared with the 45.6 million that came out of Germany, unchanged from 1993.
With a 13.7-percent increase in production, Canada slipped ahead of the United Kingdom and Italy into the No. 8 slot, manufacturing a total of 32.7 million tires in 1994.
Canada's production was bouyed by a 23.7 percent increase in the number of passenger tires manufactured to 28.9 million units; production of truck tires grew 11.7 percent to 3.76 million units from the year before.
The U.K. produced a total of 31.8 million tires in 1994, while tire plants in Italy manufactured a total 29.6 million.
The 15 largest tire-producing nations made a total of 800 million passenger and truck tires in 1994.
By continent, North America produced the largest share of the world's tires, making 39 percent of all passenger and 25 percent of all truck tires.
Europe finished a close second, making 33 percent of the passenger and 23 percent of the truck tires.
Although Asia produces the most truck tires-40 percent-it finished third in auto tire production with a global share of 19 percent.
About 4 percent of all passenger tires and 2 percent of truck tires came from South America.