Two of the countries targeted by President Donald Trump’s recently announced tariffs were among the ten largest passenger and consumer tire exporters to the U.S. last year.
According to MTD’s 2025 Facts Issue, Mexico exported 22.9 million passenger tires to the U.S. in 2024, while Canada exported 10.2 million passenger tires to the U.S. during the same period. Combined, exports from the two countries made up 11.9% of the total replacement and original equipment tire universe within the U.S. during 2024.
Also according to MTD’s 2025 Facts Issue, Mexico was the second largest exporter of passenger tires to the U.S. last year, behind Thailand, which shipped 42 million passenger tire units to the U.S. in 2024.
Canada was the fifth largest exporter of passenger tires to the U.S. in 2024, behind Thailand; Mexico; Vietnam, which shipped 15 million passenger tires to the U.S. during 2024; and Indonesia, which exported 13.4 million passenger tires to the U.S.
South Korea (8.9 million units), Cambodia (8.8 million units), Japan (8.7 million units), Chile (4.9 million units) and Malaysia (3.6 million units) rounded out the list of the 10 biggest passenger tire exporters to the U.S. in 2024, based on MTD research.
In the consumer tire category, which encompasses both passenger and light truck tires, Mexico was the second biggest exporter of units to the U.S. in 2024, having shipped 25.1 million units, while Canada was the fifth largest exporter of consumer tires to the U.S., having shipped 13.8 million, according to MTD’s 2025 Facts Issue. Together, shipments from Mexico and Canada totaled 13.2% of the total replacement and OE tire market last year.
Thailand (50.5 million units), Vietnam (20.7 million units) and Indonesia (15.2 million) also shipped more consumer tires to the U.S. than Canada, with Vietnam once again emerging as the most prolific overall exporter of consumer tires to the U.S.
Cambodia (12.4 million units), Japan (10.5 million units), South Korea (10.2 million units), the Philippines (5.8 million units) and Chile (5.6 million units) rounded out the rest of the 10 largest exporters of consumer tires to the U.S. during 2024, according to MTD’s 2025 Facts Issue.
China did not ship enough passenger or consumer tires to the U.S. in 2024 to qualify for either top 10 exporters list.
However, China was the sixth largest exporter of medium truck tires to the U.S. in 2024, having shipped 800,000 units, according to MTD data. That amount, combined with the 1.5 million TBR tire units sent to the U.S. from Canada, makes up 0.9% of the total number of medium truck tires shipped in both the replacement and OE channels last year.
As in the passenger and consumer tire categories, Thailand remained the biggest exporter of TBR tires to the U.S. in 2024, having shipped 7.2 million units. (Mexico did not export enough TBR tire units to the U.S. to make the medium truck tire exporter top 10, according to MTD’s 2025 Facts Issue.)
The tariff situation remains fluid. On Feb. 3, it was announced that Trump had agreed to temporarily pause tariffs on Mexico. Later that same day, Canada's prime minister announced that a 30-day pause had been placed on tariffs impacting his country.
