From the influence of Internet sales to the integration of new materials and advanced manufacturing processes, the tire and wheel industries remain in flux.
A tire tariff that threatened significant upheaval seems to have been overstated, but brick-and-mortar retailers are seeing the unmistakable effect of online sales. On the wheel side, flow forming, carbon fiber, concave designs and translucent colors are emerging trends.
Tire Trends
The dumping of low-priced Chinese tires into the United States brought about new fees on imported tires, a move designed to equal the playing field for domestic suppliers. The move created fears that companies catering to low-end tire markets might suffer. But the drop-off appears not to have been as severe as originally thought.