WASHINGTON (Aug. 28, 2003) — Shipments of tread rubber are expected to improve “markedly” in the second half of the year as the overall economy improves, the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) said.
The 2003 tread rubber shipments will produce about 16 million retread tires in the U.S., the RMA predicted. The association did not give figures for the anticipated growth.
Shipments in the first half of the year had lagged behind the previous year's levels as a result of the weak economy, the association said. But shipments through 2005 will benefit from a healthier economy, which the RMA estimates will grow annually by 2.7 percent.