Tire sales around the world were poor in July, except for North America—which saw reasonable increases in both original equipment and replacement markets—according to the latest market update by Michelin.

The company’s figures, presented on its website, show North American passenger/light truck replacement tire sales up 8 percent in July for just the second month this year. The gains brought the year-to-date performance to a 1-percent decline from 2011.

Demand for replacement truck tires was up 2 percent for the month but down 4 percent for the year to date, Michelin’s figures show.

OE demand for both consumer and commercial tires was brisk in July. Passenger/light truck tire OE sales jumped 26 percent in July, boosting the six-month growth to 22 percent. Truck tire replacement sales were up 13 percent in July and 17 percent for the year.

In Europe replacement sales fell 6 percent in July, dropping the year-to-date figure to a 10-percent decline. OE sales in Europe were up 4 percent in July but down 3 percent for the seven-month period.

In Brazil, Consumer tire OE sales remained steady in July, leaving the decline for the year to date at 6 percent. Replacement sales dropped 3 percent in July and were down 1 percent for the year.

OE sales fell by a considerable 30 percent in the month of July and fell by even more (33 percent) in the first seven months. The decline in replacement sales was 10 percent in July, and a decrease of 5 percent in the year-to-date.