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.
Sentury Tire has selected a plot of land just outside LaGrange, Georgia as the location for its US$500 million US tyre factory, according to various local news sources. Reports in local US newspapers suggest that the decision was made on Thursday 1 September – at which point the choice was between the shortlist of the reportedly successful Georgia location and the Memphis Regional Megasite in Tennessee.
It’s tariff time again. The US government has imposed trade sanctions on US-produced OTR and industrial tyres before. They have done so with car tyres twice before. This time it’s truck tyres. But are they effective? Will they halt the rise of Chinese tyre manufacturers in general? And what does it mean for those doing business with truck tyres in the UK and Europe?
China’s Ministry of Finance and Commerce (MOFCOM) has hit back at the US Department of Commerce’s (DOC) decision to preliminarily introduce anti-dumping tariffs of around 20 per cent on Chinese truck tyres exported to the US. Indeed MOFCOM called the ruling, which is in addition to roughly 20 per cent countervailing duties, “an abuse of trade measures” on Friday 2 September. “Chinese tyre companies strongly oppose the US’s abuse of trade measures,” ministry of commerce spokesperson told reports during a briefing in Beijing.
Ricardo has signed an agreement with Anhui Quanchai Engine Co., Ltd. (“Quanchai”) – one of China’s largest diesel engine makers – to support the development of a new generation common rail diesel engine platform for commercial applications.
The US Department of Commerce (DOC) has imposed anti-dumping duties on Chinese-made truck and bus tyres imported into the USA.
In a preliminary determination, DOC anti-dumping duties of between 20.87 per cent to 22.57 per cent would be applied to products. These duties are in addition to countervailing duties recommend for the same products in June. As a result, total import tariffs of around 40 per cent are expected.
To meet the growing demand of Asian vehicle manufacturers for surrounding sensors, production of short-range radar sensors was launched in Calamba in the Philippines towards the end of 2015. Short-range radar sensors perform functions like Blind Spot Detection, Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Assist. Driving forces include legal requirements, but the customers’ demands for more safety and comfort are also of key importance. Additionally, the production of the Multi Function Camera with Lidar will be launched in autumn this year. The plan is to produce over ten million short range radar sensors and one million camera systems in Calamba in the future.
According to Continental, Asia remains the number one growth market for the automotive industry – and the numbers are impressive: Over 50 per cent of all vehicles produced worldwide come from Asian car manufacturers and approximately 30 per cent of all vehicles manufactured worldwide come from Japanese automakers. Ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japanese vehicle manufacturers are also amongst the automotive companies that are pushing the development of innovations in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving.
Following yesterday’s confirmation that Triangle is going ahead with the initial public offering (IPO) on the Shanghai stock exchange the company planned last year, the company has revealed a number of other key details.
The Korea Tire Manufacturers Association (KTMA) reports that the total value of tyres imported into Korea reached US$511.48 million (561.6 billion won) in 2015, up 63.8 per cent from $312.27 million in 2010. Tyre imports in the first half of 2016 (January to June) also increased, growing 6.2 per cent year-on-year to $250.84 million.
The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) approved Triangle Tires’ most recent initial public offering (IPO) bid. Qingdao, Shandong Province-based tyre manufacturer Triangle was one of 13 firms to receive a CSRC go-ahead on Friday 19 August. The IPO is set to take place in Shanghai. An official IPO announcement is expected in September.
At the start of the year, Cooper Tire & Rubber confirmed its intention to acquire a majority interest in Chinese truck and bus radial manufacturer Qingdao Ge Rui Da Rubber Co., Ltd (GRT); the plan is to initially purchase a 51.86 per cent equity interest in the joint venture company from Qingdao Yiyuan Investment Co., Ltd., with Cooper Tire Holding Company obtaining a further 4.32 per cent; the registered capital in GRT will then be increased from RMB 350,000,000 to RMB 438,236,991, the result being that Cooper Tire & Rubber’s share will rise to 60 per cent share and Cooper Tire Holding Company’s to five per cent.
At a ceremony held at Continental’s headquarters in Hannover, Germany yesterday, the tyre maker signed a long-term option for acquiring additional land adjacent to its plant in Hefei, China. The deal almost doubles the space available for further expansion at the site.
Continental has opened its first training centre in the APAC region in Hefei, Anhui province in China. The facility is located in Anhui Province, in the Hefei Hi-tech Industry Development Zone, beside the company’s tyre plant and R&D test centre.
Leading Italian brake manufacturer, Brembo has reported revenues of 1,146.8 million euros, up 10 per cent compared with the first half of 2015 (+12.2 per cent on a like-for-like exchange rate basis). During the same period, pre-tax profits (EBIT) grew +42.9 per cent to 173.3 million euros.
It seems reports of the demise of the Department for Transport (DfT) were over stated. On 16 July – coincidently the day of the annual TyreSafe briefing – the new post-Brexit UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, embarked on a cabinet reshuffle. As it turned out this was no simple parlour shuffle, but a full-on single-hand pharaoh shuffle. As heads rolled and others moved in, while still others moved around, unnamed sources told The Telegraph that the Department for Transport (DfT) was being shut down. At the time, it looked like the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Energy and Climate Change were also being axed to make way for more streamlined departments for Industry and Infrastructure.
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