Based on production, shipment and inventory performance summary of automobile tire and tubes in 2016 from Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association (JATMA), the total production volume was 1,019,801 tons, decreased by 3.6%, the domestic shipment was 526,245 tons, decreased by 3.1%, and export shipment was 501,425 tons, decreased by 4.6% compared to the same period of last year.
Several factors can be considered for this fall from previous year’s actual performance. These include 0.8% decrease in the total amount of Automobile production for all models in 2016, tire manufacturing base moving offshore, and having light snowfall.
Looking at trends in production and shipment based on each cumulative quarter, production volume for automobile tires and tubes between January and March was decreased by 7.2%, the domestic shipment was decreased by 7.2%, and export shipment was decreased by 6.2% compared to the same period of last year. This was affected greatly by the fact that automobile production between January and March ended with 3.7% decrease compared to the same period of last year.
The production volume between January and June was decreased by 6.6%, the domestic shipment was decreased by 5.5%, and export shipment was decreased by 7.7% compared to the same period of last year. The automobile production between January and June was decreased by 3.4% compared to the same period of last year, thus continued to fall below the previous year’s actual performance result for 2 continuous years as the first half. Construction machines also continued to fall below the previous year performance. Since the demand environment hasn’t quite recovered, production for automobile tires and tubes also didn’t conspicuously turn up either.
The production volume between January and September was decreased by 4.8%, the domestic shipment was decreased by 3.7%, and export shipment was decreased by 6.0% compared to the same period of last year. As the automobile production between August and September resulted positively for 2 continuous months, the domestic shipment turned into positive while the production volume for automobile tires and tubes fell. Thus both production and shipment turned into positive in September. Production volume of automobile tires and tubes turned into positive for the first time in 22 months. However, the production volumes between January and September still went below the previous year’s performance since the production volume between January and August fell.
By description, the detailed breakdown for the production volume is as follows: trucks & buses was 229,072 tons, decreased by 4.4%; small trucks were 130,183 tons, decreased by 6.7%; passenger vehicles were 486,732 tons, decreased by 3.7%; construction vehicles were 156,083 tons, increased by 0.4%; industrial vehicles were 5,766 tons, increased by 7.2%; other vehicles (agricultural machines, two-wheeled vehicles, haulage vehicles, flap & limb bands) were 11,965 tons decreased by 0.9% compared to the same period of last year. Thus all went below the previous year except construction vehicles and industrial vehicles.
As for December by itself, the production volume was 78,326 tons, increased by 0.3%, the domestic shipment was 40,201 tons, increased by 2.1%, and export shipment was 38,171 tons decreased by 1.7% compared to the same period of last year, making production amount turned into positive from previous month’s fall for the first time in 2 months. Domestic shipment was positive for 2 continuous months. The snow fall over large Kanto area in 24th November believed to contribute the sales increase for winter tires.
By description, the detailed breakdown for the production volume is as follows: passenger vehicles were 35,283 tons, decreased by 8.0%; trucks & buses was 18,550 tons, increased by 10.3%; small trucks were 10,110 tons, decreased by 1.5%; construction vehicles were 12,999 tons, increased by 14.7% compared to the same period of last year.