中国轮胎出口上升，价格下降

According to the latest data from the General Administration of Customs of China, China's rubber tire exports reached 4.94 million tons in the first half of 2026, a year-on-year increase of 4.9%; the export value was 82.6 billion yuan, a slight decrease of 1% year-on-year.

Among them, the export volume of new pneumatic rubber tires reached 4.75 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 4.7%, corresponding to a value of 79.1 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 1.2%; calculated by the number of tires, the export volume reached 362.42 million units, a year-on-year increase of 3.9%.

The export volume of automobile tires reached 4.18 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 3.3%, with a value of 66.5 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 3.1%. Although the export scale continues to expand, the average price has dropped significantly, highlighting the characteristic of "exchanging price for volume."

Market competition remains fierce

China has always been a fiercely competitive region for global tires. Although the total export volume continues to grow, many global economies are still raising trade barriers, and the domestic tire market is also deeply mired in internal strife. Especially in the past two years, foreign brands have successively withdrawn from the all-steel tire market, intensifying competition among domestic tire companies, and the competition for existing market share has become the norm.

Trade barriers add up, narrowing export channels

According to overseas industry media reports on July 15, 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce has completed the sunset review of Chinese passenger car and light truck tires and decided to extend the high anti-dumping and countervailing duties for another five years. These tariffs, implemented since 2015, have a comprehensive tax rate of nearly 190%, which has long suppressed the direct export of domestic factories to the North American market.

Previously, on June 18, the European Commission issued the final ruling announcement of AD733, imposing anti-dumping duties of 24.4% to 45.3% on Chinese passenger car tires. In addition to Europe and the United States, Brazil and Peru have also launched anti-dumping investigations on Chinese tires; the Eurasian Economic Union has further increased access costs through strict environmental regulations.

Significant decline in exports to the U.S.

In the first five months of 2026, the U.S. imported a total of 116.59 million tires, a year-on-year decrease of 3.6%. Among them, the import volume of passenger car tires was 69.98 million, down 2%; the import volume of truck and bus tires was 24.71 million, down 9%; the import volume of aircraft tires was 135,000, up 22%; the import volume of motorcycle tires was 1.54 million, down 2%; and the import volume of bicycle tires was 3.28 million, up 24%. During the same period, the U.S. imported only 7.44 million tires from China, a significant year-on-year decrease of 33%.

Among them, the import volume of passenger car tires was 409,000, down 14%; the import volume of truck and bus tires was 382,000, a significant decrease of 41%. Under high tariffs, Chinese tires are rapidly being marginalized in the U.S. market.

The domestic supporting market is under pressure

According to statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, in June 2026, China's automobile production and sales reached 2.76 million and 2.81 million, respectively, a year-on-year decrease of 1.2% and 3.2%.

Among them, the production and sales of new energy vehicles reached 1.598 million and 1.643 million, respectively, a year-on-year increase of 26% and 23.6%. From January to June, the cumulative production and sales of automobiles reached 14.993 million and 15.017 million, respectively, both down about 4% year-on-year.

In the commercial vehicle sector, production and sales in June reached 387,000 and 409,000, respectively, a year-on-year increase of 9.5% and 10.7%; cumulative production and sales in the first half of the year reached 2.272 million and 2.297 million, respectively, a year-on-year increase of 8.2% and 8.3%. The overall contraction in automobile production has directly put pressure on the demand for supporting tires.

Retail stores: slight recovery, profitability still difficult

The replacement market is also sluggish. "Tire Business" recently visited several tire shops in Beijing. A shop owner admitted: "There are indeed a few more customers than in the past two years, but that's because the market was really bad in the past two years. The problem is that the average transaction amount has never increased, and overall, it's still not good. It's slightly better than the past two years, but only slightly better." The visit showed that the Beijing tire retail market has not yet seen a substantial recovery, competition has become the norm, and the phenomenon of low-price strategies to seek volume continues.

Competition enters a more complex stage, companies need to adapt

With increasing export volumes but declining prices, high trade barriers, and the restructuring of the domestic automobile market and sluggish replacement demand, the tire industry is facing multiple pressures and entering a stage of low profit and high-intensity competition. For companies, the real test will be how to enhance product added value, optimize global capacity layout, and maintain profitability in a saturated market.