Straight and sober numbers; Off-shore tire influx deepens amid slumping domestic production.(Special Report)

Byline: Bruce Davis

The raw numbers are quite sobering:

* Every other replacement market passenger tire sold in the U.S. today is made outside the U.S.

* Three out of five replacement light truck tires sold in the U.S. are made elsewhere.

* Two out of three replacement medium truck tires sold in the U.S. are made outside the U.S.

Granted, taking the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) factor into account-excluding tires made in Canada and Mexico from the imports-makes the numbers look somewhat better, but the reality remains: Shipment growth in the past few years in the U.S. has been fed almost entirely by imports, …