The Statistical Bulletin of the Tyre Retreading and Related Industries, published by ANRE in January 2026, provides an in-depth assessment of the Colombian tyre sector, combining economic and macroeconomic analysis, market data, and key implications for the retreading industry.
Clear Data to Support Retreating
One of the most significant milestones highlighted is the creation and consolidation of the Tyre Chapter within ANRE, comprising 12 major importing companies that account for approximately 51% of Colombia’s bus and truck tyre imports.
This development not only strengthens ANRE’s institutional presence and representation but also opens the door to a more integrated view of the value chain, where new and retreaded tyres are understood as complementary elements within a broader circular-economy and sustainability framework. It underscores that 2025 was a challenging year for Colombia, marked by inflation closing at around 5.1%, sustained pressure on interest rates, close to 9.25%, and a minimum wage increase exceeding 23%.
These factors, combined with challenges such as energy uncertainty and concerns over legal and physical security, create a challenging environment for the transport sector and the tyre retreading industry, where operational costs remain a critical factor for competitiveness.
Colombia’s bus and truck replacement tyre market is estimated at 2,123,160 units, with a significant share supplied through retreading, imports, and domestic production.
National production, together with the installed capacity of retreading plants, covers only a fraction of this demand, highlighting a substantial gap in meeting domestic needs and underscoring the need to strengthen industry strategies. It also notes that importers associated with ANRE account for approximately 49% of total tyre imports, underscoring the relevance of organised industry participation in the international tyre trade.
The data shows that in 2025, 294 tyre brands were processed for retreading, with 45 accounting for 96% of total volume, while the remainder contributed marginally, reflecting a market dominated by high-volume brands and also reveals a significant challenge with the quality of lower-priced imported tyres, which often fail to meet optimal retreadability criteria. This data clearly emphasises the need for closer collaboration between retreaders and importers to ensure that tyres entering the Colombian market possess the technical characteristics required to support both safety and performance throughout the retreading process.
The document also includes a comparative price analysis between new and retreaded tyres, including VAT, confirming that retreading remains a cost-competitive alternative. However, the presence of low-priced imported tyres, in some cases associated with reduced retreading potential, represents direct competition that must be addressed through technical quality standards and appropriate regulatory frameworks.
ANRE’s January 2026 Bulletin offers a comprehensive overview of the challenges, opportunities, and trends shaping Colombia’s tyre retreading sector. It highlights institutional progress through the creation of the Tyre Chapter, ANRE’s role in promoting a circular industry vision, key market figures, and how economic conditions and import quality directly influence retreading performance.
For retreaders, these findings reinforce the idea that the future of tyre retreading in Latin America depends on strengthening cross-sector collaboration, improving the technical quality of inputs, and advancing regulatory frameworks that recognise and support retreading as a strategic green industry for transport sustainability and resource efficiency.
