79 For some time now, the domestic industry has highlighted the challenges posed by the near-indiscriminate importation of a critical input for road freight transport: tires. Companies with domestic manufacturing operations have repeatedly expressed concern over the accelerating influx of imports – in ever-larger volumes – particularly from Asian countries. The outlook for 2026 remains consistent with recent years. ANIP, the National Association of the Tire Industry, projects continued competitive pressures, and is calling for structural measures to help rebalance a market that showed sluggish performance last year. In 2026, the truck tire market is expected to follow the same trend, although recent conflicts in the Middle East may affect the global economy – and, consequently, Brazil’s – potentially constraining logistics activity across virtually all segments. The sector hopes the country will advance discussions on reducing market asymmetries, strengthening trade defense mechanisms, and implementing anti-dumping measures to curb the shrinking market share of domestically produced tires amid surging import demand. Experts, however, warn that any potential remedy must be carefully calibrated to avoid increasing costs for carriers and end customers. Measures such as import restrictions or tariff hikes, for example, can drive up the cost of road freight transport. However, ANIP emphasizes that the sector is experiencing an unprecedented crisis, citing a sharp drop in the market share of domestically produced tires in the replacement market – from 66% in 2021 to just 28%. In other words, 72% of tires sold in Brazil are now imported. This significant shift led to the submission, in the first quarter, of a multi-sector manifesto to the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC), outlining a diagnosis of the sector and proposing measures to strengthen domestic industry and its ecosystem. The document warns that the entire sector’s production chain – including rubber producers and manufacturers of steel, chemicals, and textiles – is being severely impacted by the high volume of imported products, often priced below international production costs. “We are facing a critical risk of disruption across the production chain, which could lead to the deindustrialization of the sector – compromising national sovereignty and the supply of strategic inputs for the country,” says Rodrigo Navarro, president of ANIP. In 2025, sales of tires made in Brazil were down by 5.8% over 2024, declining from 40 million units to 37.7 million. The sharpest drop occurred in the replacement market, which absorbed 25.3 million units – 2.1 million fewer than the previous year, representing a decrease of 7.5%. The truck tire segment experienced an even sharper slowdown, with sales declining from 6.7 million units to 6.1 million – a drop of 7.7%. Once again, the replacement segment – responsible for the bulk of sales – was the primary driver of the decline. With 4.4 million tires sold, it recorded a significant drop of 9% compared to the previous year. Deliveries to automakers and bodybuilders were down by 4%, to 1.75 million units. “Across all fronts, we are seeing negative impacts that are eroding the market and creating structural challenges for the industry. We need to reverse this trend by 2026,” emphasizes the president of ANIP. Change is essential! The Brazilian tire industry is calling for measures to curb the unchecked surge of imported products, many of which are priced below production costs.
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