Market trends

Last update : June 22, 2026

In Original equipment, at the end of May 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. In Europe, activity is suffering from a slowdown in the eastern part of the region and, cyclically, from a weak month of May with fewer working days than in the previous year.

In Original equipment, at the end of May and on a cumulative basis, the global market excluding China is down. North American demand remains depressed: orders for new trucks have been rising for the sixth consecutive month, but the surplus stock of new trucks has not yet been absorbed. In Europe, despite a month of May with fewer working days than in the previous year, the market is maintaining its cumulative rebound. 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.