Market trends

Last update : May 21, 2026

In Original equipment, at the end of April and on a cumulative basis, demand is down. This decline is particularly noticeable in China: subsidies and tax exemptions for new vehicle purchases are less attractive than in 2025, and carmakers are gradually reducing their vehicle inventories. The North American market is slightly down, penalized by higher vehicle prices and adverse weather conditions early in the year. Europe is broadly stable.

In Original equipment, at the end of April and on a cumulative basis, the global market excluding China is slightly down. North American demand remains depressed: orders for new trucks have been well oriented since December 2025, but manufacturers’ inventory levels remain high and will take several more months to normalize. The European market is continuing the rebound that began in the middle of last year. In South America, the Brazilian market is being held back by a difficult economic situation that is limiting investment by carriers and by competition from imported trucks from Asia.

Tire market estimates reflect sell-in data published by local tiremaker associations, plus Michelin’s own estimates of sales by tire manufacturers that do not belong to any association. These estimates are based primarily on import-export statistics and are expressed in the number of tires sold. They are regularly adjusted and may be updated following their initial publication.