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.
A court in China has ruled in favour of Bridgestone Corporation, determining that two Chinese companies, Jianxin Rubber (Fujian) Co. Ltd and PT.Beststone Rubber Industries Co. Ltd., infringed the Japanese tyre maker’s design rights. The Zhengzhou Higher People’s Court ruled that a pre-cure tread the companies manufactured and sold for truck and bus tyres violated Bridgestone’s design rights.
In the US China Manufacturers Alliance, LLC (CMA) has announced that it is recalling certain Bluestar LQ225 size 8-14.5 low platform trailer tyres manufactured. According to a recall notice published by the US government authority responsible for such matters, NHTSA, the affected tyres were produced between 24 February 2013, and 9 August 2014.
Automechanika Shanghai’s organisers (Messe Frankfurt) report that the auto parts show is concentrating its efforts on providing an “outstanding” and “insightful” event this year. Scheduled to take place from 9 – 12 December at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre in China, the fair is described as the world’s second largest Automechanika
In recent weeks and months, Roy Armes has voiced on a number of occasions that Cooper Tire & Rubber still views China as an important part of the company’s future plans, despite its experiences at the Cooper Chengshan Tire (CCT) joint venture factory in 2013. Most recently, the chairman, chief executive officer and president confirmed during a conference call on 4 December that the country “will continue to be an important part of our long-term growth strategy.” But that doesn’t mean Cooper Tire can’t or won’t adjust its activities in China to meet global market conditions. In light of a new round of tariff measures in the US, which came into effect shortly after Cooper Tire sold its 65 per cent share in CCT, the company has shifted some of its production from China to other global locations, and it will continue to do so should conditions favour this strategy.
Prinx Chengshan (Shandong) Tire Company Ltd has succeeded Cooper Tire’s joint venture with Chengshan. The previous JV was dissolved when Cooper closed the sale of its 65 per cent share to Chengshan Group Company Ltd on 1 December. Unveiled at Reifen China 2014 in Shanghai, the new joint venture has been formed with Prairie Investment Company.
A public relations campaign supporting the launch of a Goodyear-brand tyre in China has been honoured as one of the world’s 50 best public relations programmes by The Holmes Group, organiser of the SABRE Awards. At the 2014 Global SABRE Awards, an event billed as the “elite of the elite” that brings together the finest from the SABRE Awards competitions in the Americas, Asia-Pacific and the EMEA region, Goodyear was named winner in the specialist audience – marketing to men category.
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company reports that it has completed the sale of its 65 per cent ownership in Cooper Chengshan (Shandong) Tire Company Ltd (CCT) to Chengshan Group Company Ltd on 1 December for approximately US$262 million net of taxes and including dividends in accordance with the previously announced option agreement. Earlier reports suggested […]
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has chosen Nexen Tire as an ‘excellent supplier’ at an awards ceremony recently held in China. The ‘2014 APAC Supplier Town Hall and Awards Ceremony’ were held in Shanghai to honour the global suppliers FCA considers have delivered the best quality, brand values and technical skills.
The Chinese-market edition of auto motor und sport magazine has voted the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 the winner of its latest winter tyre test. According to Nokian Tyres, the publication called the Hakkapeliitta R2 the “king of winter tyres” in the test that appeared in its 10/2014 issue. The Nokian tyre was one of seven brands (others included Continental, Michelin, Dunlop and Goodyear) tested. Auto motor und sport described the Nokian tyre as offering “excellent grip, good track follow ability, easy to get grip when accelerating and no loss of grip when climbing hill straightly (sic).” The overall evaluation of the Hakkapeliitta R2 is that “it makes everything simple”.
When you add the standard preliminary countervailing charge of 15.69 per cent to the predicted anti-dumping tariff of between 25 and 35 per cent, it means we are looking a total potential tariff load in the region o 40 to 50 per cent. Writing in an investor’s note published immediately after the Department of Commerce announcement, SunTrust Robinson Humphrey analyst Robert Higginbotham certainly suggested as much: “We believe in the middle to upper end of expectations. Countervailing typically the smaller of the two pieces (the other being antidumping); today’s decision [24 November] implies a total tariff in the range of 45-50 per cent.
Following the news that the US Department of Commerce (DoC) had set the preliminary countervailing duty for Chinese consumer tyres, market analysts have begun estimating what they think the outcome of final determinations will be when they are announced on 6 April 2015. Preliminary details of anti-dumping duties are expected in January 2015. Writing in […]
The US Commerce Department (USDOC) has moved to impose import tariffs on tyres manufactured in China and imported into the US. The USDOC has also agreed to initiate work on an additional nine subsidy programs identified by the USW. The preliminary finding suggested that Chinese-made tyres in this category are unfairly subsidized and should be subject to countervailing duties of 17.7 per cent and 81.3 per cent. The precise percentage depends on the manufacturer in question, but the standard rate is reportedly 15.69 per cent. This is the second round of passenger vehicle and light truck duties since the millennium. The first round ran from 2009 to 2011 and ranged from 35 to 25 per cent.
Mesnac Co., Ltd. has promoted Zheng Jiangjia into the role of president of the company, effective on 27 October 2014. Zheng Jiangjia joined Mesnac in May 1998 and served as the general manager of MESNAC Dosing System Division, assistant president and executive vice president.
Tyre manufacturing machinery and systems supplier, Mesnac recently won the “Golden Rubber Award” at China International Rubber Industry Expo, which is also known as CIRI Expo. Mesnac was also recognized as one of the “2014 Top Ten Leading Brands” in China.
After a close fight in the race to Cape Town, tyre maker Aeolus has congratulated the Dongfeng team for crossing in second place at 15:22:48 UTC on 5 November, just 12 minutes and 4 seconds behind Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.
Dongfeng skipper, Charles Caudrelier: “As a team we might not have much experience in the Volvo Ocean Race but my men know how to fight and they fight for every 1 per cent. I have a great team around me and for leg 1 we are really happy. We were not the favourites, we knew this, but I also knew we could do great things. I chose men that could fight.”
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