TRIB Survey: Industry Weathers Difficult 2025, Eyes Recovery in 2026

Fourth Annual State of the Retread Industry Survey Reveals Revenue Headwinds, Resilient Investment, and Near-Universal Concern Over Imported Tires

Washington, D.C. – May 11, 2026 — The Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau (TRIB) today released results from its annual State of the Retread Industry Survey, providing a cross-sector look at business performance, investment, and outlook across the North American retread supply chain. Respondents included retreaders, tread rubber manufacturers, materials and equipment suppliers, and casing/used tire dealers.

A Difficult 2025 — But a More Optimistic 2026

The survey confirms what many in the industry felt: 2025 was a hard year. Nearly half of respondents (46%) reported revenue declines compared to 2024 while only 18% reported growth.

The outlook for 2026 is considerably brighter. More than a third of respondents (36%) project revenue growth in the year ahead, including 14% anticipating increases exceeding 10%, while only 18% expect further declines. Workforce plans reflect similar cautious optimism: 46% plan to grow headcount, 32% expect no change, and just 18% anticipate reductions.

“2025 tested this industry. Our members faced real revenue pressure, yet they kept investing in their people, their equipment, and their operations. The survey results tell us the mood heading into 2026 is meaningfully more positive, and we think that optimism is well-founded.” — David Stevens, Managing Director, TRIB

The #1 Challenge: Low-Cost Imported New Tires

The clearest signal in this year’s survey is the industry’s near-unanimous view of low-cost imported new tires as its defining competitive threat. When asked to rank business challenges, respondents placed cheap low-quality imports first, by a wide margin.

Following imports, rising costs for materials and human resource challenges ranked second and third respectively, with skilled labor shortage cited as a production challenge by 87% of retreader respondents.

Investment Continues Despite Headwinds

Despite the difficult revenue environment, the industry is not standing still. The top investment priorities for 2025–2026 are workforce training, software and IT systems, new retread equipment and plant expansion, and automation/robotics. In the view of respondents, commercial truck and bus retreading remains the dominant growth opportunity for our industry.

What Customers Want: Cost and Performance Above All

Survey respondents were clear about what drives their customers’ purchasing decisions. Cost savings was rated “Extremely Important” by 73% of respondents, with performance and product availability close behind. Sustainability is growing in relevance but has not yet reached the same tier, reflecting the continued primacy of economics over environmental motivation for most end users.

Legislative Momentum: H.R.3401 and S.2790 in Focus

Multiple respondents cited H.R.3401 and S.2790, the Retreaded Tire Jobs, Supply Chain Security and Sustainability Act, as a potential game-changer, with one noting that its passage “could have a dramatic impact on our business” among customers who don’t currently retread.

“The survey results make the policy stakes crystal clear. When the overwhelming majority of your industry identifies the same competitive threat and points to the same legislative solution, that’s a mandate. TRIB will continue working with our members and partners on pressing Congress to act on H.R.3401 and its Senate companion. The economics, the jobs, and the environmental case for retreading are all on our side.” — David Stevens, Managing Director, TRIB

About TRIB

The Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau (TRIB) is the leading trade association for the retread and tire repair industry in North America. For over 50 years, TRIB has provided education, resources, and advocacy on behalf of the retread and repair industries. For more information, visit retread.org.