Yan Feng

After years of development, China’s tire industry has built a complete system with a whole range of products. Most of them are used for export to supply the international market, except that a few high-end products still need importing.

According to the relevant statistics from General Administration of Customs P.R.China on five main tire products, including new pneumatic rubber tires for small motorized passenger cars, passenger cars or freight motor vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and non-listed new types, their import volume presented a development trend of decreasing year by year and then increasing year by year from 2017 to 2021. Among them, the import volume was 114 000 tons in 2017 and decreased to 106 800 tons in 2019. However, the import volume was 125 300 tons in 2021, with an increase of about 12.08% year-on-year. The export volume from 2017 to 2021 showed a development trend of first increasing year by year, then decreasing, and then increasing. Among them, the export volume was 5 629 200 tons in 2017, and increased to 5 897 600 tons in 2019 and 6 565 900 tons in 2021, with an increase of about 15.25% year-on-year.

New pneumatic rubber tires for small motorized passenger cars

1. Import analysis

From 2017 to 2021, the import volume of new pneumatic rubber tires for small motorized passenger cars in China showed a development trend of decreasing year by year and then increasing. Among them, the import volume was 99 100 tons in 2017 and peaked 102 300 tons in 2021, an increase of 14.05% compared to the minimum volume in 2020. The import unit price showed a development trend of first increasing, then decreasing, and then increasing. The minimum import unit price was US$5 923.89 per ton in 2017, and reached the maximum of US$6 649.31 per ton in 2021, a year-on-year increase of about 8.03%.

In 2021, China's imports of new pneumatic rubber tires for small motorized passenger cars mainly came from Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Germany and Romania, with a combined import volume of 61 400 tons, accounting for about 60.02% of the total import volume, a year-on-year increase of about 37.98%. Imports were mainly based on general trade and goods trade in special customs supervision areas, with a combined volume of 101 200 tons, accounting for about 98.92% of the total import volume, a year-on-year increase of about 13.33%.

2. Export analysis

From 2017 to 2021, the export volume of new pneumatic rubber tires for small motorized passenger cars in China had a development trend of first increasing year by year, then decreasing, and then increasing. Figure 1 shows the changes in the export volume of new pneumatic rubber tires for small motorized passenger cars in China from 2017 to 2021.

         Figure 1 The changes in the export volume of new pneumatic rubber tires for            small motorized passenger cars in China from 2017 to 2021

In 2021, China's new pneumatic rubber tires for small motorized passenger cars were mainly exported to the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Brazil, the Netherlands, Australia, the United States, Germany, Japan and Canada, with a combined export volume of 965 700 tons, accounting for about 41.86% of the total export, with a year-on-year increase of about 20.44%. Table 1 shows the main exporting countries or regions in 2021. The export was mainly based on general trade and processing trade with imported materials, with a combined volume of 2 277 500 tons, accounting for 98.73% of the total export volume, a year-on-year increase of about 17.94%.

New pneumatic rubber tires for passenger cars or freight motor vehicles

1. Import analysis

From 2017 to 2021, the import volume of new pneumatic rubber tires for passenger cars or freight motor vehicles in China had a development trend of first increasing year by year and then decreasing. Among them, the import volume in 2017 was 10 829.68 tons, and 15 429.84 tons in 2021, with a decrease of 5.32% compared to the maximum volume in 2020. The unit price of import showed a development trend of first increasing year by year, then decreasing, and then increasing. Among them, the minimum unit price of import was US$4 266.45 per ton in 2017 and reached a maximum of US$4 529.30 per ton in 2019, a year-on-year increase of about 1.89%. The unit price of imports in 2021 was US$4 459.55 per ton, a year-on-year increase of about 3.21%.

In 2021, China's imports of new pneumatic rubber tires for passenger cars or freight motor vehicles mainly came from Japan, Thailand, Spain and the United States, with a combined volume of 12 759.75 tons, accounting for about 82.70% of the total import volume, a year-on-year decrease of about 6.31%. Imports were mainly based on general trade and goods trade in special customs supervision areas, with a combined volume of 15 132.54 tons, accounting for about 98.07% of the total import volume, a year-on-year decrease of about 0.54%.

2. Export analysis

From 2017 to 2021, the export volume of new pneumatic rubber tires for passenger cars or freight motor vehicles in China showed a development trend of first increasing year by year, then decreasing, and then increasing. The unit price of export showed a trend of first increasing, then decreasing year by year, and then increasing. The export unit price in 2017 was US$2 193.01 per ton, and reached a maximum of US$2 294.85 per ton in 2018, a year-on-year increase of about 4.64%. The unit price of export in 2021 was US$2 123.01 per ton, an increase of about 8.43% compared to the minimum price in 2020. Figure 2 shows the changes in the export volume of new pneumatic rubber tires for passenger cars or freight motor vehicles in China from 2017 to 2021.

Figure 2 The changes in the export volume of new pneumatic rubber tires for passenger cars or freight motor vehicles in China from 2017 to 2021

In 2021, China's new pneumatic rubber tires for passenger cars or freight motor vehicles were mainly exported to the United States, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Nigeria, Russia, the Philippines, Canada and Pakistan, with a combined volume of 1 477 400 tons, accounting for about 39.13% of the total export volume, a year-on-year increase of about 12.38%. The main exporting countries or regions in 2021 are shown in Table 2. The export was mainly based on general trade and processing trade with imported materials, with a combined volume of 3 683 700 tons, accounting for about 97.57% of the total export volume, a year-on-year increase of about 12.40%.

New pneumatic rubber tires for motorcycles

1. Import analysis

From 2017 to 2021, the import volume of new pneumatic rubber tires for motorcycles in China showed a development trend of increasing year by year. Among them, the minimum import volume was 750.17 tons in 2017 and reached a maximum of 3 462.77 tons in 2021, a year-on-year increase of about 30.89%. And the import value was US$21 553 900 in 2021, a year-on-year increase of about 34.16%.

In 2021, China's imports of new pneumatic rubber tires for motorcycles mainly came from Indonesia, Thailand and Taiwan of China, with a combined import volume of 2 995.51 tons, accounting for about 86.51% of the total import volume, a year-on-year increase of about 27.53%. The imports were mainly based on general trade, with an import volume of 3 359.34 tons, accounting for 97.01% of the total import volume, a year-on-year increase of about 30.17%.

2. Export analysis

From 2017 to 2021, the export volume of new pneumatic rubber tires for motorcycles in China showed a development trend of first decreasing and then increasing year by year. Among them, the export volume in 2017 was 138 300 tons, and decreased to a minimum of 130 600 tons in 2018, a year-on-year decrease of about 5.57%. The export volume in 2021 was 192 900 tons, a year-on-year increase of about 25.02%. The unit price of export showed a development trend of first increasing, then decreasing, and then increasing. The unit price export in 2017 was US$2 561.79 per ton, and reached a maximum of US$2 705.70 per ton in 2021, an increase of about 7.07% compared to the minimum price in 2020.

In 2021, China's new pneumatic rubber tires for motorcycles were mainly exported to the Philippines, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and the United States, with a combined export volume of 106 300 tons, accounting for about 55.11% of the total export volume, with a year-on-year increase of about 35.30%. The exports were mainly based on general trade and processing trade with imported materials, with a combined volume of 184 700 tons, accounting for 95.75% of the total export volume, a year-on-year increase of about 27.67%.

New pneumatic rubber tires for bicycles

1. Import analysis

From 2017 to 2021, the import volume of new pneumatic rubber tires for bicycles in China showed a development trend of decreasing year by year and then increasing year by year. Among them, the import volume in 2017 was 2 227.64 tons, and dropped to a minimum of 1 433.10 tons in 2019, a year-on-year decrease of about 24.36%. The import volume in 2021 was 2 959.97 tons, a year-on-year increase of about 34.35%.

In 2021, China’s imports of new pneumatic rubber tires for bicycles mainly came from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan of China, with a combined volume of 2 945.73 tons, accounting for about 99.52% of the total import volume, an increase of about 34.52% year-on-year. The import was mainly based on general trade and processing trade with imported materials, with a combined import volume of 2 856.30 tons, accounting for 96.50% of the total import volume, an increase of about 34.48% year-on-year.

2. Export analysis

From 2017 to 2021, the export volume of new pneumatic rubber tires for bicycles in China showed a development trend of decreasing year by year and then increasing. The export volume in 2017 was 74 308.30 tons, and surged to 99 362.32 tons in 2021, with a year-on-year increase of 53.33% compared to the minimum volume in 2020.

In 2021, China's new pneumatic rubber tires for bicycles were mainly exported to Japan, Germany, Italy, Russia, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and the United States, with a combined export volume of 41 043.99 tons, accounting for 41.31% of the total export volume, a year-on-year increase of about 70.75%. The export was mainly based on general trade and processing trade with imported materials, with a combined volume of 95 906.75 tons, accounting for 96.52% of the total export volume, an increase of about 145.98% year-on-year.

Unlisted new pneumatic rubber tires

1. Import analysis

From 2017 to 2021, the import volume of China's unlisted new pneumatic rubber tires showed a development trend of first increasing, then decreasing, and then increasing year by year. The import volume in 2017 was 1 096.28 tons, and dropped to a minimum of 818.99 tons in 2019, a decrease of about 47.57% compared to the maximum volume in 2018, while the import volume in 2021 was 1 157.46 tons, an increase of about 14.23% year-on-year.

In 2021, China's import of unlisted new pneumatic rubber tires mainly came from India, Japan, Malaysia and Spain, with a combined import volume of 729.31 tons, accounting for about 63.01% of the total import volume, an increase of about 2.37% year-on-year. The import was mainly based on general trade and processing trade with imported materials, with a combined volume of 1 085.12 tons, accounting for about 93.75% of the total import volume, an increase of about 18.00% year-on-year.

2. Export analysis

From 2017 to 2021, the export volume of China's unlisted new pneumatic rubber tires showed a development trend of increasing year by year. Among them, the minimum export volume in 2017 was 122 404.33 tons and reached a maximum of 191 219.29 tons in 2021, a year-on-year increase of about 26.25%.

In 2021, China's unlisted new pneumatic rubber tires were mainly exported to Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, the Netherlands, Brazil, Mexico, the United States and Canada, with a combined export volume of 152 485.50 tons, accounting for about 79.74% of the total export volume, a year-on-year increase of about 23.79%. The export was mainly based on general trade and processing trade with imported materials, with a combined volume of 188 541.10 tons, accounting for about 98.60% of the total export volume, an increase of about 25.75% year-on-year.

Summarize

     Based on the above analysis, it is clear that from 2017 to 2021, the import volume of China's tires industry had a development trend of first decreasing and then increasing year by year. Among them, the new pneumatic rubber tire for small motorized vehicles was the most important imported variety, and the imports were mainly from Japan, Indonesia, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan of China and other countries or regions, mainly in general trade and goods trade in customs special supervision area. From 2017 to 2021, the export volume presented a development trend of first increasing year by year, then decreasing, and then increasing. Among them, new pneumatic rubber tires for small motorized vehicles and new pneumatic rubber tires for passenger cars or freight vehicles ware the main export varieties. Products were mainly exported to Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Brazil, the United States, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Colombia, the Philippines, Nigeria and Germany and other countries or regions, mainly in general trade and processing trade with the imported materials.