Sibur in Talks with Continental and Nokian

Sibur Russian Tyres is in talks with a Czech unit of German tyremaker Continental AG and with Finland’s Nokian Renkaat to cooperate in the tyre business, the Reuters news agency has reported. Sibur spokeswoman Anna Stepanova said Sibur’s possible partnership with the Continental unit might include production of tyres at a Sibur plant in Russia.

She also said Sibur was in talks with Nokian, which is already building a tyre plant of its own near St Petersburg. “There will be (partnership) with Nokian, but it’s unclear of what kind,” she said. Nokian declined to comment and Continental was not available for comment. A previous move by Nokian to cooperate with a Russian tyre manufacturer ended in a dispute with Russian partner Amtel over how to expand their cooperation. Production at the joint venture stopped last year, and it is now dissolved.

The Russian tyre company is part of petrochemical giant Sibur, which controls about half of Russia’s tyre industry. Sibur in turn is controlled by Russian gas monopoly Gazprom.