Cheap Asian tyres are pushing European producers out of the lorry market
Despite EU duties on Chinese tyres, hauliers increasingly buy cheaper ones from Thailand, Vietnam and India. European factories are losing market share.
The European Commission has concluded its investigation and imposed anti-dumping duties of between 4.3% and 45.3% on Chinese tyres. Competition from Asia is not slowing, however: Polish and European hauliers, looking to save money as costs rise, are increasingly choosing cheaper alternatives.
The scale of the trend in numbers
- The EU producers' share of the lorry tyre market fell from 72% in 2018 to 60.8% in 2025.
- Imports from Thailand and Vietnam now account for almost 61% of all tyres brought in for lorries.
- A new premium tyre costs around PLN 2,700, while a budget version can be bought for around PLN 900.
- In Poland, sales of lorry tyres fell by 6% in the first half of the year.
Manufacturers ask Brussels for protection
The Tyres Europe organisation is appealing to the European Commission to recognise tyres as a strategic component and to draw up a definition of a locally manufactured product, in order to protect EU factories.
What do you think is the key factor when buying: a low price or the high quality of European brands?