China Archives - Page 173 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.

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Tree-Planting Ceremony Held at Yokohama Tire Philippines

Yokohama Rubber’s commitment to all things environmental continued on August 23 with another tree planting ceremony, part of its “Yokohama Forever Forest” project at Yokohama Tire Philippines. The August ceremony was the first staged by the company outside of Japan, and will be followed by further such events in China (Hangzhou Yokohama Tire) in November and Yokohama Tire Manufacturing (Thailand) in December. In Japan, the entire initial phase of tree planting has been completed except for at Yokohama’s Shinshiro facility, which will host a tree planting ceremony in May 2009.

16th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

New Analysis of Chinese Market Available

While the news that China is both the world’s largest tyre producer and the fastest growing market – currently at 9 per cent and rising – may not be all that surprising, the new analysis of the China tyre industry’s 2008 standing by Research and Markets contains a vastly more detailed look at the state of play.

12th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

25 Per Cent of Goodyear Dalian Tire on Sale

Dalian Bingshan Group is gearing up to sell its 25 per cent of Goodyear Dalian Tire to the public for 311.46 million yuan (25.47 million pounds sterling). The validity of the announcement will expire on 15 September, so find your chequebooks quickly, folks.

At present assets in Goodyear Dalian total 2.06 billion yuan (168 million GBP), though 813 million yuan (66 million GBP are current liabilities, while net assets sit at 1.25 billion yuan (102 million GBP).

12th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Automechanika Malaysia to Promote ASEAN Auto Industry

Automechanika Malaysia (previously known as Automechanika Asia) will take place at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia’s most modern event facility between 25 – 29 March 2009. Over the past six years, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) has extensively promoted this fair as part of the Malaysian Government’s initiative to further develop the automotive industry in Malaysia and across the ASEAN region.

The last fair, held for the first time in the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre during 2007 attracted more than 5,480 buyers from 60 countries and regions. There was strong attendance from China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand, supporting the majority of visitors from Malaysia. Altogether in 2007 there were 151 exhibitors from 18 countries and regions at the fair: Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom.

11th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

South China Tyre & Rubber Bounces Back

The South China Tyre & Rubber Company (SCTR) claims to have been the first state-owned organisation in China to specialise in the production of high performance radial tyres and its hp product portfolio includes tyres with speed ratings from V up to Y.

Not that SCTR’s products are limited to high performance tyres, as the range includes light truck and heavy truck, including all-steel radials. The company operates two production facilities in the Panyu and Conghua districts and annual production is around eight million tyres, of which 1.3 million are all-steel radials, under the brand names of Wanli and Milever. Wanli tyres are exported to more than 110 countries worldwide and have achieved the necessary certifications and approvals, such as ECE and DOT. Wanli tyres are also supplied to domestic vehicle manufacturers, such as Shanghai Volkswagen, Faw Volkswagen, Hainan Mazda, Zhenghou Nissan and Guangzhou Isuzu, among many others. Domestic sales are handled via a network of 103 provincial agents.

11th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Sinochem International Buys 51% of GMG

Company News, International News

Sinochem International Corporation subsidiary Sinochem International (Overseas) Pte Ltd. has Bought a 51 per cent stake in Singapore-based natural rubber producer GMG Global Ltd. for SG$ 267.98 million (£106.4 million). GMG operates natural rubber business in Africa and elsewhere with plantations in Cameroon and Ivory Coast and processing facilities in Indonesia. Amongst other things Sinochem International expects the deal to help position it for growth in the global rubber market. China contributes to over 20 per cent of the world’s natural rubber consumption but only produces 7 per cent of the production.

10th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

India Not Planning to Cut Rubber Import Duty

Indian officials are not planning to cut rubber import duties, despite the efforts of tyre manufacturers who had been lobbying for a reduction. India has imported about 24,410 tonnes of rubber for April to August 2008, Rajiv Budhiraja, director general of the All India Tyre Manufacturers’ Association, told Reuters. India imposes a 20 per cent duty on import of rubber, but only 7.5 percent on import of finished tyres, enabling the import of cheaper foreign tyres, especially from China. India is the fourth largest rubber producer in the world, producing over 950,000 tonnes annually.

9th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

IBDA Forecasts Battery Price Increases

The Independent Battery Distributors Association is warning members to expect further increases in battery prices due to significant rises in material costs. Battery manufacturers have been adversely affected over the last few years by dramatic increases in the price of lead due to growing worldwide demand, particularly in Eastern Europe, China and India.

Warning of inevitable increases Godfrey Ferris, IBDA Secretary, explains: “Lead prices did fall earlier this year but are again on the rise and it is expected that this trend will persist. Whilst the current cost of $2,000per ton is still short of the $3,000 reached earlier this year, other factors have arisen that far outweigh this temporary respite.

8th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Truck Sales Slump Hitting Tyre-Makers

With manufacturers of trucks in Western Europe finding market conditions tough, tyre-makers with a large interest in the Truck segment have to contend with the decreased demand for OE-supply alongside the well-documented problems of increased raw material costs and the struggle to sell to the replacement market.

The replacement sector too, is hurt by fleets continually looking to make savings, for which cutting the cost of tyres is too often high on the agenda. Rather than allowing fleet-based customers to diminish their overheads through decreasing the rate at which they replace tyres, or buying cheaper alternatives, major European manufacturers – such as Michelin and Pirelli – are ramping up their efforts to attract business to their all-encompassing fleet servicing products, in addition to focusing in earnest on their operations in emerging truck markets, such as Brazil, where the replacement and, to a lesser extent, the OE markets are remaining strong.

5th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Pneu-Logic and EDP Plan Major Growth For End of 2008

Pneu-Logic, the UK-based subsidiary of leading RFID developer Advanced ID Corporation has completed a “major growth plan” in cooperation with the company’s French strategic marketing partner EDP. This agreement, based on EDP’s rapidly growing customer base, more than doubles the company’s original 2008 forecast and is expected to exceed US$500,000 in product sales for Advanced ID. With expanding sales in France, Spain, Turkey and Israel, and a large order from China, EDP is set for massive expansion with its Tyre Parc Fleet Management software. With EDP selling Advanced ID probes, RFID tags and patches and the new OTR probe in 2009, the company expects sales to reach US$750,000 next year.

“We are very pleased with our sales performance, particularly in new markets such as China, Israel and Turkey,” said EDP Managing Director Jean Luc Guisti. Mr. Guisti continued: “Our Tyre Parc software with the Pneu-Logic system has been widely accepted as the industry leading solution for companies who understand the importance of good tyre management to reduce fleet operating costs.”

4th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Develops New Premium “Gommoncino”

Pirelli continues to aspire to innovation in the area of truck tyres, while also acknowledging its desire to tap into new and emerging markets. Now it has developed the Gommoncino, a new 385/55R22.5 size, premium-tread FH85 Amaranto, which the manufacturer claims is able to sustain superior loads and return greater mileage. Simultaneously, the company announces that it continues to strengthen its position in emerging markets, especially in China and South America, through OE alliances with some of the world’s largest industrial vehicle manufacturers.

4th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

European Tyre Volumes Remain Weak

In July the European passenger car tyre market fell 7 per cent, with truck tyres falling 3 per cent, according to Michelin sourced figures. In contrast, the ailing North American market appears to be beginning to recover, according to Deutsche Bank estimates. Here the market was flat in July with truck tyre sales actually growing 3 per cent. Business in the emerging markets is reportedly strong with both Brazil and China both growing at 20 per cent plus rates.

3rd September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Shandong Yinbao Tyre Group Spreads Its Wings

International News, News, Product News

The Shandong Yinbao Tyre Group is set to embark on a programme of international expansion. Established in 1994, the company has become a famous name in China, designing, manufacturing and marketing tyres and inner tubes for the domestic market, under the brand names GoodTyre, Yinbao and Huibao. The product range is extensive and includes truck, agricultural and industrial tyres, as well as giant OTR tyres, for example, size 36.00 R51, plus a range of inner tubes. Products are already exported to over 50 countries, but the company, under the direction of chairman Mr. Yonghua Liu, has decided that the time is right to concentrate more on developing export business.

Manufacturing is carried out at three plants in China and Shandong Yinbao has built up a network of distributors to handle sales outside China. The products are all DOT, ECE, INMETRO and SNI approved, among others. As well as adopting a policy of continuous quality improvement, the company is dedicated to extending the life of its tyres and, as an example, its website proudly mentions the fact that the company’s heavy-duty, radial truck tyres are capable of running for 200,000 kilometres.

1st September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Analysts Welcome Michelin’s Plans to Cancel Mexico Plant

A few days after the news that Michelin was walking away from earlier plans to build a new factory on a Greenfield site in Mexico, financial analysts have lauded the decision as “a wise move.” Michelin initially announced its plans to invest up to $740 million by 2014 in a second passenger car and light truck tyre plant in Mexico last year. Construction was due to begin in late 2008, the production line was expected to start running in 2010 when output would begin towards its 15 million passenger car tyres-a-year target.

The strategy here was believed to be for Michelin’s management to use significant natural attrition of the company’s North America work force to transfer production from the US to Mexico, where labour costs are reportedly four times than in the US.

1st September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Columbian Opens Carbon Black Plant in Brazil

An inauguration celebration has been held for Columbian Chemicals’ latest carbon black manufacturing facility. Work on the new plant, located in Camaçari Pole, a chemical complex in Brazil’s Bahia state, began in September 2005, and the company notes this operation at Camaçari Pole incorporates the latest environmental and energy conservation technologies. The US$75 million facility has a production capability of 75,000 tonnes, which can be expanded as the market develops; two tyre factories using the end product operate in the region, one belonging to Bridgestone/Firestone and the other to Continental.

29th August 2008/by Tyrepress Editors