Europe Tire Import Trends 2025: Q4 Slump

On February 5, 2026, Europe updated its tire import data for the first 11 months. Overall, imports of passenger car and light truck tires in the EU27 and the UK increased by 5% year-on-year. However, this figure masks a significant market downturn in the fourth quarter—imports in the last two months alone fell by 10% year-on-year, dragging down the overall performance for the year.

Looking back at 2025, European tire imports can be described as a "high start, low finish." A strong 25% growth in the first quarter laid a solid foundation, but the growth momentum gradually weakened, with only a slight increase of 1% in the third quarter, foreshadowing subsequent weakness. Entering the fourth quarter, the market contracted further, with a year-on-year decline of 10%, reflecting the overall sluggish demand for tires in Europe.

Unlike the US market—where Chinese tires have fallen out of the top ten in import rankings—Chinese tires still hold a significant advantage in Europe. In September and October 2025, Chinese-made passenger car and light truck tires accounted for 76% of total imports in the EU and the UK, maintaining a stable position.

In response to the large influx of Chinese tires, the European Commission announced on January 21 that it would begin registering imports of car, bus, and truck tires with a load index not exceeding 121 as part of an ongoing anti-subsidy investigation. This measure means that if subsidies are subsequently found, retroactive tariffs may be levied on registered products.

Furthermore, although the EU decided on December 18, 2025, to temporarily suspend the implementation of provisional anti-dumping duties on Chinese passenger car tires and light truck tires, this does not indicate a relaxation of the investigation.

The EU explained that the suspension was due to the complexity of the investigation and the fact that the final anti-dumping determination must be carried out simultaneously with the anti-subsidy investigation, leaving considerable uncertainty regarding the final tariff rate. According to the current plan, the final determination is expected to be announced in June 2026.

As a result, European dealers have begun stockpiling tires in advance, leading to an increase in tire prices.

South Korean tires have also performed strongly in the European market. Although its shipments to Europe declined by 14% year-on-year in the first 11 months of 2025, South Korea remains the region's second-largest source of tire imports. Meanwhile, Vietnam's tire imports have seen significant growth, increasing more than fourfold year-on-year.

It's worth noting that most of the tire manufacturers in Vietnam are Chinese and South Korean companies, suggesting that their actual market share in Europe may be larger than the data indicates. India's exports to Europe also continued to grow, increasing by over 5%, ranking fifth.

Unlike the passenger car market, European truck and bus tire imports showed signs of recovery in 2025. In the first 11 months, imports of truck and bus tires from non-European regions increased by nearly 10% year-on-year, with Thailand and Vietnam combined accounting for nearly 57% of the market.

However, China's truck and bus tire exports to Europe declined by more than 5% year-on-year, indicating that Chinese tire companies are gradually changing the supply chain landscape in the European market by adjusting their export strategies through overseas production bases.

Egypt remains the fourth largest supplier of truck and bus tires to Europe, but its 4% growth rate is lower than the market average. South Korea's truck and bus tire exports to Europe increased by nearly 30% year-on-year, but this is still a decrease of about 60% compared to 2019, when South Korea held nearly 19% of the European market share in this segment.

Overall, the European tire import market is showing structural differentiation: demand for passenger car tires is weakening, while demand for commercial vehicle tires is showing signs of recovery; in terms of production location, China continues to dominate the market by relying on its domestic and overseas production capacity, while Southeast Asia's supply chain position is constantly improving. In the future, trade policies and regional layouts will become key variables affecting the market structure.