China Vehicle Solid Tire Industry Report

China Vehicle Solid Tire Industry Report, 2011-2012
Solid tire, as the name implies, is totally solid except for a hollow section in the middle to keep the center of gravity and is mainly produced by a special kind of rubber material. It is a kind of industrial tire adapted to low-speed and high-load operation under harsh conditions, which outperforms pneumatic tire in safety, durability and economy, and finds wide application in industrial vehicles, military vehicles, construction machinery and articulated vehicles in ports and airports.

In the world, Europe and Southeast Asia serve as the major producers of solid tires. In particular, Vietnam and Sri Lanka in Southeast Asia which enjoy large rubber output develop rapidly in solid tire manufacturing field in recent years by virtue of their advantages in resources.

In China, Shandong and Guizhou are the major production regions of solid tire. In recent years, the rapid development of engineering transportation industry, especially the boom in output and sales volume of forklifts, boosts the demand for solid tire. In 2007, the output of and the demand for vehicle solid tires in China broke 3 million pieces, with growth rate registering 24.1% and 22.4% respectively. In 2008, along with the steady progression of the forklift industry, the output of vehicle solid tires in China refreshed the record and hit 3.86 million pieces.

Amid the financial crisis, the slump of the export market slackened the demand, and vehicle solid tires suffered an apparent decline both in output and demand.

Following the pickup of forklift industry in 2010, the output of vehicle solid tires in China presented a significant growth rate of around 30%. As the output and sales volume of industrial vehicles kept stable and rising, the output of vehicle solid tires in China also maintained steady growth.

With respect to the applications in downstream sectors, the demand for solid tires from forklifts constitutes around 50% of the total demand. The market demand for forklifts, the most widely applied material handling tool, has been surging driven by urbanization and industrialization in China since 2000, and the sales volume soars at a CAGR of 23.5%