WASHINGTON — U.S. tire shipments in 2018 are expected to increase about 1 percent over 2017, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA).
Total U.S. shipments should rise to 319.8 million units, vs. 316.7 million in 2017, the association said, without offering any commentary as to what factors it takes into account for its forecasting.
The association's latest forecast is a slight improvement over that from April. At that time the USTMA suggested shipments would be up 0.8 percent to 319.1 million units.
Medium truck tire shipments represent the growth engine this year, the USTMA figures show.