Continental, Tanzania Negotiations “Complex”
According to Nairobi based news portal The East African, the nation of Tanzania is “struggling” to end the multi-billion dollar General Tyres East Africa (GTEA) partnership brokered with Continental AG in the mid-1990s. The East African states that Continental, 38 per cent shareholder in the venture, has been “feuding with the state” since 2006. The GTEA facility in northern Tanzania has been closed since 2007, with 400 workers locked out.
Continue ReadingR H Claydon to Distribute Exclusively Infinity Truck Tyres
Recognising R H Claydon as “the leading UK truck tyre distributor,” Infinity Tyres has appointed the well-known wholesaler as the exclusive distributor for Infinity Truck (TBR) tyres in the UK. The news follows “a couple of months of discussion and negotiation,” which resulted in the new agreement being concluded. Infinity truck tyres will now be available from all of Claydon’s UK branches – Bury St Edmunds, Falkirk, Scunthorpe, Stockport and Swindon.
Continue ReadingSri Lanka Encourages Tyre Rubber Production
At the end of June Sri Lanka’s government announced plans to encourage small farmers to produce more tyre grade rubber. Local news sources reported that plantations industries minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said a policy decision was taken aimed at increasing production of the RSS 3 type rubber grade: “Although most people think RSS 1 is the best and it is, the biggest demand is for RSS 3…That’s what big industrialists want. They are the main buyers of rubber.”
Continue ReadingCuban Retreader Poligom Output 56,900 tyres in 2009
A recent article written by Joel Mayor Loran and published by the Granma and Periodico publications in Cuba gives a fascinating insight into the workings of the country’s National Rubber Company – Poligom. According to the article, which is entitled “How to Save a Million Dollars” the Cuban retreading operation has been facing a scarcity of raw materials and retreadable casings. The Poligom National Rubber Company reportedly runs five factories specialised retreading work, which retreaded 56,900 tyres in 2009. However, the lack of stability in the supply is said to have affected plans to increase production to 90,000 in 2010. In the year to 10 June the retread companies located in the municipality of Cotorro in Havana City, in the central province of Las Villas, and in the eastern provinces of Camaguey, Holguin and Santiago de Cuba received 34,000 casings, 6,000 less than expected.
Continue ReadingAnti-Dumping Pressure Mounts on Chinese Tyre Makers
While most of the rainbow nation was preparing to welcome people from far and wide to the first World Cup on African turf, the country’s legal eagles were deliberating over whether or not to kick certain Chinese tyres out of the country with an anti-dumping investigation. On 4 June 2010 the South African press reported that the High Court of Pretoria’s Judge Willie Hartzenberg set aside an earlier ruling made in 2007 by the Trade and Industry Ministry (Itac), to terminate anti-dumping probes against Chinese tyre exporters. He further ordered that (Itac) complete an anti-dumping investigation within four months. The judgement was duly lauded as bringing "fair competition" to the tyre manufacturing industry by those who brought the case, namely Bridgestone South Africa, Continental Tyre South Africa, Dunlop Tyres International and Goodyear Tyre & Rubber Holdings through their representative body South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference. Whether or not the Chinese tyre imports in question can accurately be described as dumping – and it would be prudent to let the courts decide that – the ruling is another sign that products manufactured in the People’s Republic are not the quick and easy sell they once were. As far as tyres are concerned, the combination of increasing natural rubber, oil and steel input prices, combined with an unstable shipping cost context and added to the increasingly inhospitable international trade climate mean the latest decision in South Africa may force some Chinese factories to rethink either the delivery strategy or destinations of their tyres.
Continue ReadingInfinity Continues to Develop Brand alongside Large Manufacturers in Hall 3
The Infinity brand was presented as part of a 240sqm island stand (shared with its manufacturer Shandong Linglong) situated within Hall 3, a fair indication of the global ambitions explained in previous articles (“Infinity Aims to 'Go Deep' with Fast Growing 'Premium Budget' Strategy” on tyrepress.com), since this was where many of the world’s largest manufacturers also placed their stands.
Continue ReadingSouth African Anti-Dumping Decision "Means Level Playing Field"
An article on the South African website Business Report reported on the ruling of the High Court in South Africa to set aside the decision, made in 2007 by the Trade and Industry Ministry, to terminate anti-dumping probes against Chinese tyre exporters, bringing "fair competition" to the tyre manufacturing industry.
Continue ReadingMichelin Deploys Latest Military Tyre
Weapons manufacturers, government representatives and perhaps, one may speculate, the odd soldier of fortune and terrorist crackpot, are flocking to Paris this week to take part in the Eurosatory military vehicle show. Those perusing the latest additions to our global arsenal were amongst the first to catch a glimpse of Michelin’s new XZL2 tyre. Introduced at the show, the XZL2 is designed for both military and off-road commercial applications, and Michelin states it features a redesigned tread pattern that offers greater speed capabilities and improved tread life over a wide range of terrains.
Continue ReadingRussian Tyre Market Value Shrunk 40% in 2009
In 2009 the Russian market for various types of vehicle tyres (including industrial equipment, tractors and combined harvesters) totalled 33 million units, down a reported 36 per cent. According to a report published in the CRIA published magazine, China Rubber, the 2008 figure was 51.4 million. The fall in value of these tyres was even steeper, down 40 per cent at 95.14 billion rubles (2008: 157.7 billion rubles). According to the research, the main reason for the market decline is directly related to the economic crisis and its knock-on effects on the entire Russian vehicle transport sector.
Continue ReadingApollo Tyres Planning China Expansion
Apollo Tyres is reportedly working on a strategy to enter China, currently the world's largest tyre producing and exporting market. If Apollo is successful in this venture it would be the first Indian tyre manufaturing company to establish a permanent production presence in China. “We aim to be a global tyre producer with footprints in all corners of the world,” Onkar Kanwar, Apollo Tyres' chairman, said at the launch of the brand in Europe, adding: “Only China is out of bounds right now but we will chart a strategy to be present there as well, through either a joint venture or a contract manufacturing arrangement.“
Continue ReadingReports: Petlas to Expand Car Tyre Output
Turkish tyre manufacturer Petlas Lastik is planning to significantly expanding its passenger car tyre production capacity. According to local news reports, the company’s tyre manufacturing finance manager, Vahit Unal told reporters that the company will invest $50 million to more than double the company’s 2005 car tyre capacity. “While in 2005 [we attained] exports of $16 million, in 2008 this figure reached $93 million. In the last 2.5 years we have invested $55 million. With additional investment of approximately $50 million related to the production of passenger tyres we will raise our capacity 2.5 times,” he is reported as saying. The commissioning of the additional investment is said to have taken place in the first quarter of 2010.
Continue ReadingReports: Michelin to Relocate, Expand China Plant
Michelin is seeking Chinese government approval to relocate its Shenyang plant to a larger site to allow for capacity expansion, according to a China Daily report. "We have to relocate the Shenyang factory for a really big capacity expansion in both truck and bus tyres as well as passenger car tyres, considering the growing demand in China's automobile market," Michelin managing general partner Michel Rollier is quoted as saying.
Continue ReadingEuropean Commission Imposes 20.6% Duty on Chinese Alloy Wheel Imports
On 12 May the European Commission (EC) imposed a 20.6 per cent duty on aluminium road wheels imported from China. The ruling, which is lower than the 30 per cent some sources predicted, is designed to put the brakes on the decline in European produced aluminium wheel sales. It comes in the form of a “preliminary measure” just over half way through the anti-dumping investigation that began at the behest of EUWA (European Wheel Manufacturers Association) in May 2009. The preliminary measure lasts for the six months necessary for the commission to make its final ruling in November at which point the 12 May ruling leaves the option open for commission to the 20.6 per cent import duty for an extra five years.
Continue ReadingConti Sime Opens Malacca BestDrive Outlet, Celebrates Dealer’s 70th Anniversary
Chop Swee Hoe and Continental Sime Tyre Sdn. Bhd. (CST) opened a new BestDrive Continental Passenger Car & Light Truck (PLT) Centre in Malacca (the third smallest state in Malaysia) on 23 May, 2010. According to Choong Kee Seng, sales and marketing director of CST, the BestDrive PLT centre empowers partners with the ability to make use of this brand to become positioned as uniform, specialised tyre dealers catering for the premium customer segment. “We have now completed a total of 18 BestDrive Continental PLT centres throughout Malaysia, with the opening being done in stages,” said Choong Kee Seng.
Continue ReadingInfinity Tyres Invests in Prime Position at Reifen 2010
After only six years in the tyre market, Infinity Tyres’ continuing efforts to increase its brand’s reputation and the awareness of Infinity tyres are embodied in the prominence of the company’s presence at Reifen 2010. As part of a 240 square metre island stand situated within Hall 3, Infinity will be exhibiting its range of passenger and truck tyres. Positioned as a premium quality economy tyre, Infinity is now distributed across five continents and in over 60 countries. And according to company representative, Infinity tyres sits comfortably amongst the tyre world “giants” exhibiting in Hall 3 at Reifen 2010.
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