China Archives - Page 188 of 240

ContiTech Subsidiary to Establish Mexico Facility

A subsidiary of Continental’s ContiTech Group is establishing a new facility in Mexico that will supply automotive manufacturers in North America. The subsidiary, Benecke-Kaliko AG, will build this new plant in the state of San Luis Potosí, and it will specialise in the production of vehicle interior trim components such as PVC foam laminate and PVC leatherette as well as TPO compact film and expanded vinyl (TEPEO and TEPEO2).

“We’re targeting significant growth in the NAFTA region”, explained Dr. Dirk Leiß, Executive Board chairman of Benecke-Kaliko AG. The new facility will be a wholly owned subsidiary of ContiTech, and an investment of approximately 8 million euros will go into its construction. When the plant becomes operational more than 250 new jobs will be created.

5th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Tire Group International: Looking Further Afield

Product News

In its 15 years of existence, TGI has developed into a fast-growing company in the worldwide distribution of tyres and tubes. At Tyrexpo Asia, James Eiriz, Vice President of International Sales, told T&A that last year the company experienced a 15 per cent growth in sales.

This was mainly in the Caribbean and Latin America; areas where TGI is particularly strong. Indeed, some 65 per cent of the company’s turnover is achieved in Hispanic countries and now TGI is setting its sights further afield, with plans to expand into the USA (majoring on high performance and truck tyres) as well as targeting Western Europe and Asia, hence the presence at Tyrexpo Asia. Freight costs – especially from China – are increasing, says Eiriz, but he nevertheless expects business volumes to increase this year.

4th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Cooper Appoints New Asia Executives

Product News

At the start of the New Year Allen Tsaur will take over as vice president and general manager of its Asian Operations, replacing Ron Shield, who took on the role in an interim capacity and is retiring at the end of 2007. Tsaur, who joined Cooper Tire in January 2007, is currently general manager of Cooper’s operations in China. The role of deputy general manager for the Asian Operations, a new position, will be filled by Michael Cati. The former director of Asian Operations sales and marketing will report directly to Tsaur.

4th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

New Trade Deal With China May Impact Tyres

Product News

(Tire Review/Akron) In a new trade deal, China will eliminate “improper” trade subsidies it was allegedly using to prop up profitable trade with the US, to the detriment of local and foreign companies. The deal was announced earlier this week by US Trade Representative Susan Schwab, who called it a major breakthrough.

In the deal, China will eliminate WTO-illegal tax breaks that aided Chinese companies exporting to the US and other countries, and end taxes and tariffs that harmed reciprocal trade with China. There was no immediate word how the agreement will impact the import or export of tyres and tyre-related products.

3rd December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Automechanika Shanghai Home to 1,200 Exhibitors

Product News

With only a week to go before Automechanika Shanghai gets under way, more than 1,200 exhibitors from 23 countries & regions are confirmed for the show being held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. National pavilions from Germany, Italy, Korea and Taiwan will also be a feature of this year’s exhibition. In line with the profile of the global Automechanika brand, products on display at Automechanika Shanghai will include vehicle components, accessories and equipment for automotive repair and maintenance. The full spectrum of the OE and aftermarket will be represented, from budget to high-end offerings.

Alongside the exhibition is a comprehensive programme of special events, including the Automechanika Academy on December 5 – a series of eight lectures by leading auto industry professionals and academics from Chinese universities. All sessions will be conducted in both English and Chinese, and are open free-of-charge to all fair attendees.

30th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

First Reifen China Attracts Over 5800 Visitors

Product News

The organisers of the first Reifen China exhibition have published visitor attendance and exhibitor numbers from the inaugural “Asian Essen Show.” A total of 5812 visitors from 41 countries passed through the show between 14 and 16 November. Of these, 16 per cent were described as overseas visitors. 88 exhibitors from 13 nations took stands in Shanghai, with the vast majority (68 per cent) directly from the tyre, casing and tube business. 16 per cent of exhibits represented press, publishing and associations; while 4 per cent originated from the equipment and vulcanisation sectors.

30th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Marangoni Ready to Move Forward

Product News

The Marangoni Village the Italian tyre and retreading systems manufacturer constructed at last year’s Essen show was about more than just combining exhibition space. As far as the company’s management is concerned, this move symbolised the first step in a “redefinition of the Marangoni’s corporate strategy.” In other words, the company is re-doubling its efforts to focus on the synergies available to a group that runs as a “highly networked system” rather than a number of autonomous entities.

Looking at the how the company has expanding internationally over the years, retreading has always been a key part of the group’s business. In fact the company’s domestic Italian market is the only territory in the world where less than half of group sales (40 per cent – see chart for more details) come from retreading related operations. With Western Europe accounting for 34 per cent of total group turnover the half of this figure that is retreading related remains central to the company’s operation.

29th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pearls of the Orient

Premium, Product News

The thirty-fifth edition of the now iconic Pirelli Calendar – the first ever to be photographed in Asia – has been unveiled in Shanghai. Set entirely in China’s largest city, the calendar uses as a backdrop the picturesque streets of the old French Concession, the splendid gardens of the former British Legation, the mysterious and sensual atmosphere of forbidden China, the convulsive Nanjing Road and the characteristic tea houses.

In each of the twenty-three portraits in this latest calendar (two for each month, except August) Pirelli aims to recount “the pomp of ancient China, with its splendour and the colours in which the Oriental myth of female beauty – perfection, purity, grace – is searched out.” Popular Chinese actress Maggie Cheung, featured in the 2008 calendar, explains this beauty: “Very often I find Western people seem to go for the more cliché Chinese faces: long hair, slanted eyes. All that has changed I think. Many Chinese women are graceful; I think we have an inner grace that’s more rare than you find in the West.”

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29th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

JK Tyre to Expand China Outsourcing

Product News

JK Tyres has become the latest Indian manufacturer to talk of boosting its outsourcing of production to Chinese manufacturers. An article printed in the Hindu Business Line reports that the company, who already has five or six Chinese partners producing tyres under the JK brand name, intends to increase its outsourcing activity there by around 10 per cent.

This measure is being taken in order to increase JK Tyre’s sales in Chinese and other overseas markets. “We are looking at strategic partners in South East Asia or China to serve the local market in those countries as well as overseas markets. Though the China business is miniscule currently, we are looking to expand it,” quoted the Hindu Business Line of JK Tyre vice chairman and managing director Raghupati Singhania.

29th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli to Continue its Forward Looking Strategy in China

Product News

Under the leadership of Dr Francesco Gori, Pirelli’s tyre division is accelerating the pursuit of its forward looking strategy. On November 27, 2007, Pirelli officially opened its new passenger car tyre factory in Yanzhou, Shandong province and presented the facility to the Chinese media. Tyres & Accessories and its German sister publication Neue Reifenzeitung were the only international tyre publications in attendance. In the first phase Pirelli will produce about 3 million passenger car tyres per year, ranging between 14 and 18 inches in diameter. In a fast second step, this capacity will be expanded up to 5 million units. The premises even allow for a future expansion of the production site up to a capacity of 10 million passenger car tyres. German manager, Michael Beck (44), has taken over the responsibility of the Pirelli factory. For him it is a pleasure to have had the chance to build a factory on a greenfield site with the benefit of an ideal flow of goods and materials.

With regards to equipment Pirelli’s new PC tyre factory is one of the most modern facilities the tyre manufacturer runs, MIRS factories aside. The output is intended for the Chinese tyre market, but also for South East Asia and Australia as well as Northern America where Pirelli urgently needs additional tyres. Three years ago Pirelli installed a truck tyre factory on the same site as the new PC tyre facility. This factory will soon reach its maximum capacity on schedule and then will add an annual output of 1 million large truck tyres, of which the majority will be tube type tyres. However, over the past months, Pirelli has produced more and more tube-less truck tyres in Yanzhou. Initially, Pirelli had planned to sell a major part of its truck tyre output in the whole of the South East Asian region. This plan was soon put aside in light of dramatically growing demand on the domestic Chinese truck tyre market. China already is the largest single truck tyre market in the world and is consuming Pirelli’s truck tyres fresh from the vulcanising presses.

The new passenger car tyre factory was built together with Pirelli’s truck tyre joint venture partner. Since the two partners started producing truck tyres in China three years ago, Pirelli has gained a majority share of 75 per cent of the joint venture holding company and it can be expected that with every single increase of capital Pirelli’s share in the company further grow.

On the occasion of the official opening of the new PC tyre factory, Pirelli’s chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera as well as Dr Francesco Gori, the CEO of Pirelli Tyre, representatives from the Chinese jointventure partner, delegates of the Shandong province as well as the Italian ambassador for China were present in Yanzhou. During the past three years Pirelli has invested more than $200 million into the site. It is very likely that this sum will be doubled within the next three years. The truck tyre factory currently employs about 1,000 people. The passenger car tyre factory will hire another 1,000 employees. Pirelli already has a well-established distribution network available in China which is expected to grow up to 1,000 point of sale by early next year. Two thirds of these dealers will be so-called mono-brand dealers.

Talking to Tyres & Accessories, Francesco Gori points out that tyres produced in the new PC tyre factory in China are not designated for sale on the European tyre markets. This comes as no surprise because just a few months ago Pirelli opened a passenger car tyre factory in Slatina, Romania. This facility has a similar size and is equally modern as the new tyre factory in China.

28th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Nankang Shows Off New Rubber at CITExpo

Premium, Product News

The 5th China International Tire Expo – CITExpo 2007 to you and me – welcomed a number of well-known first time exhibitors. Amongst this group of companies making their debut appearance at CITExpo was Taiwan’s Nankang Rubber Tire, a company with a growing international reputation. Through wholesalers such as Kirkby in the UK and De Klok in Germany and the Benelux countries, the Nankang brand, along with the Sonar range also produced by Nankang Rubber Tire, has found its place as an option for purchasers seeking affordable rubber for their vehicle.

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23rd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin and Kirkby Settle Copyright Dispute

Product News

Kirkby Tyres & Wheels has agreed to end the distribution of a number of Double Coin brand tyres that Michelin claimed infringed the French manufacturer’s intellectual property rights. According to the agreement, Kirkby will cease distribution of the tyres and also remove all versions of “Michelin-copyrighted content” from its websites within an agreed period of time. In return Michelin is dropping its legal action for “infringement and other issues.”

In May Michelin informed the media that it was filing suits against tyre dealers selling the Double Coin brand because of tread patterns similar to those on Michelin truck tyres. The French tyremaker had previously (in December 2005) alerted more than 5,000 tyre dealers that while the treads may look the same on both tyres, the look-alikes may not deliver the same grip or longevity as an authentic Michelin tyre.

23rd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Chadha Rubber: Diversified Group

Product News

Chadha Rubber is a member of the Chadha group; a vast organisation with interests in foodstuffs, metals, paper, rubber, handicrafts distilling and wine and real estate. In all, the group employs some 10,000 people. Products of Chadha Rubber include butyl rubber tubes, flaps and curing bags and envelopes for retreading. The tube plant began manufacturing in 1989 and covers a wide range of tubes for vehicles from two wheelers to OTR machinery. Domestically, the company enjoys regular business with the Special Defence Aircraft tubes and is actively associated with the various State Transport Fleet owners and Indian tyre manufacturers. Exports form a healthy part of Chadha Rubber’s business, with sales made in over 40 different countries, said Mr Ajay Bhardwaj, General Manager, International Business.

22nd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

China to Play a Role in SRT’s Growth

Product News

The attendance of Russian tyre major Sibur – Russian Tyres (SRT) at CITExpo 2007 was perhaps indicative of the unique position the Shanghai show holds as the largest specialist tyre exhibition in the world’s most watched market. Exhibiting alongside the Xarello Group, an important export agent for Sibur – Russian Tyres, the Russian manufacturer and the overseas wholesaler were not seeking to raise their profile with Chinese consumers, nor were they looking for local agents to distribute tyres. So what exactly then attracted the two companies to an exhibition in Shanghai?

22nd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Ruling Requires Manufacturers to Prove Harm from Imports

News

A federal trade panel ruling in the US has provided a glimmer of hope for Chinese tyre manufacturers facing the prospect of tariffs imposed upon their products. On November 20 the United States International Trade Commission ruled against the American glossy paper industry’s request for tariffs on paper imported from China, discarding duties that the US government had authorised earlier in the year. The ruling stated that US makers of glossy or coated paper had not been “materially injured” or “threatened with material injury” by the subsidised Chinese products entering the market.

However the ruling did not dispute that the Chinese government’s programme of subsidising of products destined for export may be improper or illegal, therefore the door remains open for US tyre manufacturers, amongst others, to seek relief through the imposition of tariffs. Government policy introduced in March, allowing for potentially crippling tariffs on Chinese manufactured goods on the premise that China illegally subsidises some of its exports, also remains in operation.

21st November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

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