China Archives - Page 172 of 240 - Tyrepress

Now one of the largest tyre-producing countries in the world, China has an indisputable influence on the direction of global tyre trade. The home of both fast-growing up-and-coming brands as well as a burgeoning domestic market, this tag chronicles China’s involvement with the tyre business.

Posts

Yokohama to Delay China Facility Expansion

It seems likely that Yokohama Rubber’s plans to expand output in China may be delayed by several months due to reduced demand and a potential oversupply of tyres. In an interview with Reuters, company president Tadanobu Nagumo discussed the company’s current position, warning that stocks and currencies losses would cut into Yokohama’s net profit in the first financial year half. To then boost profit margins, Nagumo said he would consider eliminating OE contracts with some vehicle manufacturers.

7th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

The Quiet Achiever

Yokohama Tire admits that an OTR division is typically not the highest profile area in a tyre company’s hierarchy – yet it’s one of the most profitable. While they produce and sell the world’s largest and heaviest tyres, it is the consumer and, to a lesser extent, commercial divisions that receive most of the limelight. To set the record straight, Yokohama Tire USA has interviewed two key members of its OTR division, director of OTR sales Gary Nash and national sales manager Nelson Richards. The two men discuss the inner workings of Yokohama’s OTR department, the marketplace and the future of OTR.

6th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Observing Profitable Markets

European Commission concerns about competition rules have blocked Michelin from acquiring Continental’s tyre business, but the French company is still showing a strong interest in securing an interest in other competitors. Speaking to Forbes.com about potential expansion into China to offset costs in stagnating markets, Michelin chief executive Michel Rollier said “we have to be pragmatic. If we see a wonderful opportunity we will seize it.

6th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Oh How Cute…Tyre Maintenance

Nothing says tyre safety like a ‘kawaii’ cartoon…especially when it involves a cuddly, well-meaning animal. Therefore Cooper Asia marketers recently commissioned a well-known Chinese blog cartoonist to publish tyre safety cartoons for the tyremaker.

Updated on a weekly basis, the cartoons feature as their hero a rotund rabbit named Zhouzhou, whom Cooper Asia describes as an “environmental protection pioneer in the cyber world.” Cooper says it presents the weekly cartoon series online to educate consumers on basic tyre knowledge, company news and the environment in a fun way. Zhouzhou also appears in materials promoting Cooper Tire Safety Week in China.

3rd October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Back for Seconds…

Reifen China, unlike the long-established Reifen show in Essen, Germany, is an annual event. Therefore, a sequel to the show’s successful 2007 debut is already due. Between December 4 and 6, 2008, the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) will again be filled with the aroma of the round objects and the buzz of deals being made. Tyres & Accessories plans to be there, and we’ll be far from lonely…

3rd October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Advanced ID Predicts 400% Increase in 4Q Revenue

Advanced ID Corporation, the parent company of tyre management RFID specialists Pneu-Logic, is predicting it will record a 400 per cent increase in fourth quarter revenues following the acquisition of Shenzhen DDCT Technology Co. The company earlier announced that DDCT has developed RFID readers and modules that are capturing major tenders and orders in their respective RFID sectors. Several contracts have already been negotiated and are seen as the key reason for the predicted growth.

Dan Finch, president and CEO, said: “We are more than pleased with DDCT as our new acquisition. Working with Cherry Lim, our country manager and Mr. Siyou Su, chairman of DDCT, we have received confirmation of projects that will start before the end of 2008. We have funded the infrastructure for our new location in Shenzhen and are completing production and manufacturing on those projects as we speak.” Mr. Su commented in an earlier press release on his projections for 2009 of US$12 Million and is very confident that this will be not only achieved but surpassed for the China market alone.”

2nd October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyrexpo Asia Opens World Rubber Summit Debates to Attendees

Attendees to TyrexpoAsia 09 will have the opportunity to join colleagues from the raw materials side of the industry to debate key elements of the International Rubber Study Group’s World Rubber Summit in Singapore next March. The theme for the Summit has now been announced as ‘Global Demand and Supply: Facing the challenges in a rapidly changing world.’

Access to the Summit is a direct result of the collaboration between TyrexpoAsia and the International Rubber Study Group (IRSG), which will see delegates networking and participating in both events next year. IRSG draws its membership from 16 major rubber producing and consuming countries and the European Union, plus over 100 associate members from all kinds of rubber related companies around the world.

30th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

India Reviewing Nylon Tyre Cord Anti-Dumping Policy

India has initiated a sunset review of Anti-dumping duty on imported Nylon Tyre Cord Fabric from China. The review has been called for as by the domestic industry as Indian companies in this sector wish to see the current anti-dumping duty both continued and enhanced. Notification of the review, released by India’s Department of Commerce on September 16, states that “dumping has continued in spite of imposition of antidumping duty on import of the subject goods from China PR and the domestic industry continues to suffer injury on account of dumping from the subject country.”

25th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

High Ambitions For Sailun Tyre

Sailun Tyre is a company that epitomises the rapid technological advances made by Chinese industry in recent years. Although it was only established six years ago, Sailun has plans to expand significantly.
The company is situated in the National Economic and Technological Development Zone in Qingdao and manufactures all-steel radial truck tyres. However, its ambition is to build three modern factories to manufacture a range of medium truck radials and bias and radial special tyres, as well as the existing range. These plans also include a dedicated test track to be used in the development and evaluation of new products.

Sailun has already invested heavily in R&D, utilising CAD software to build mathematical models for finite element analysis, refining the design of a tyre and predicting its behaviour and performance while still on the screen. The company boasts a very short development time for new products and has established long-term co-operation in science and research with institutions such as the National university of Defence Technology and the Qindao University of Science and Technology.

24th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook to Supply Sinopec

Sinopec, the Chinese petrol and chemical giant, has awarded Hankook Tire with two supply contracts for steel truck radial tyres. The Korean manufacturer is a supplier to many transportation companies in China, having entered the market in 2003. It is pushing forward a concerted effort to establish its presence further than the 1.7 million unit capacity it now possesses within China, with estimates within Hankook predicting boldly a sales growth of 25-30 per cent.

Details of the Sinopec deal were not released within the announcement.

23rd September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Smuggled Tyres Putting the Squeeze on Indonesian Manufacturers

Domestic tyre sales in the Indonesian market dropped four per cent during August, allegedly the result of a market saturated with cheaper tyres smuggled from China and India. According to Indonesian Tire Producers Association chairman Aziz Pane, illegal tyres have been entering the Indonesian market since July and are making life difficult for the producers of their local counterparts.

“Illegally imported tyres, in the hundreds of thousands, have partly taken over the domestic market,” Pane told the Jakarta Post. “Local tyre producers sold 3.7 million tires in August, down from 3.89 million in July.” According to the association, tyres produced in China and India are sold in Indonesia for between 10 to 30 per cent less than locally made tyres.

23rd September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

China Reports USA Dispute

Following the imposition of measures designed to curb the importation of certain tyres – among other goods – China has launched a dispute with the World Trade Organisation over the USA’s actions, Reuters has reported. The country’s trade representatives have expressed their concern over the US Commerce Department’s measures taken to tackle supposedly unfairly priced, dumped or Chinese-subsidised products, such as new pneumatic off-road tyres.

The Chinese statement said that: “Considering that bilateral consultations between China and the U.S. failed to solve concerns of China, China requested consultations with the U.S. under the WTO dispute settlement mechanism regarding those measures.” The dispute is the latest in a series between the two countries, a fact that – considering China’s status as the world’s second largest exporter of all products – may not be much of a surprise.

22nd September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Indian Government May Offer Fuel-Efficient Incentives

The Indian government is pondering whether to offer fiscal incentives to popularise fuel-efficient radial tyres for trucks and buses, the country’s news media is reporting. It is thought that the tyres could save automotive fuel worth 200,000,000 rupees (2.4 billion pounds sterling) annually. The package would include exemption from excise duty, a reduction in import duty on machinery and a concessional VAT rate for a ten-year period.

By doing so, the Indian government would hope to increase the manufacturing of radial tyres within India, and boosting its market share to 25 per cent. The current level is between 4 and 5 per cent, an official in department of industrial policy and promotion told The Economic Times. The Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association has demanded the incentive package that would reduce the cost of radial tyres by 30 per cent, added the source.

18th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Citexpo Attendance Over 10% Higher Than 2007 Show

International News, Product News

As the opening day of Shanghai’s Citexpo 2008 tyre exhibition drew to a close, Wilko Fong director of the organising company Reliable Exhibitions told Tyres & Accessories that the 2009 show is already 60 per cent booked. 2008’s show is proving to be as bustling as ever with 300-plus exhibitors and visitors numbers (based on pre-registration indicators) up between 10 and 15 per cent compared with the 2007 show.

Wilko Fong is hoping that the nine, which represents long life according to Chinese numerology, will be Reliable’s lucky number in relation to next year’s show, which is scheduled to take place at the Shanghai Everybright Conventional and Exhibition centre from 9 September 2009 (09/09/09).

17th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Sentaida International to Build New Factory in China

Just under a year after Chinese company Sentaida International bought US UHP tyre wholesale specialist Zisser Tire Wholesale, company representatives have told Tyres & Accessories that Sentaida is two-thirds of the way through constructing a new “state of the art” tyre manufacturing facility. The first phase of tyre production is scheduled to start in 2009 when the company will make between 2 and 3 million passenger car ultra high performance tyres. When construction is completed and production is fully ramped up (sometime around 2013) the factory is expected to output approximately 10 million units annually.

17th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors