Page 34 - RB-95-20-4

POLAND
Polish Tyre Companies Hit by Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has hit most tyre companies in Poland heavily, and the market is yet to recover to the pre- crisis level, according to Piotr Sarnecki, Director General of the Polish Tyre Industry Association.
According to Sarnecki, in the first half of 2020, Poland recorded double-digit sales declines in all tyre segments. The deep crisis in Europe meant that purchases of new tyres, both for private cars and fleets, were postponed. This was particularly evident in the figures for light commercial vehicle and SUV tyres, whose sales in the second quarter of 2020 decreased by 41% and 35% respectively, compared to the same period last year. “The second quarter started with disastrous results that only slightly improved in some categories,” explained Sarnecki. “The shift in the replacement
season meant that it was only at the end of the second quarter that sales of summer and all-season tyres increased. However, looking at the perspective of the entire quarter, the declines are very severe.”
On the subject of the impact of cheap imported tyres from China on the Polish market, Sarnecki pointed out that this varied by segment, but confirmed that overall, in recent years, a slight drop in the demand for the cheapest tyres could be observed. “It seems that both consumers and professionals are more likely to use performance and durability as key factors than previously,” pointed out Sarnecki. “Meanwhile, in the truck tyre segment we observed a collapse of Chinese tyres after the EU imposed duties for imported tyres from China,” he added.
In respect to future challenges
and opportunities in the market, Sarnecki agreed that, in the short term, the COVID and post-COVID economy would be a challenge with most companies focusing on how to survive in better condition than their competitors. However, in
a mid-term perspective, challenges like the European Green Deal and the Circular Economy would be key issues the Polish tyre industry would want to strongly contribute in.
“A year ago, I would have said that perspectives were very good,” he said. “Key factors of this optimism are still present - a growing economy and automotive market combined with an increasingly innovative business environment and an increasingly competitive, energetic and ambitious workforce, but this depends on the general mood of consumers and business remaining on the same level.”
Piotr Sarnecki