Whether its raw materials, machinery, research and development or the latest manufacturing trends, this tag provides up-to-the-minute insights into the upstream part of the tyre industry.
Advance Tyre has begun passenger car radial (PCR) tyre production at its Vietnam factory, marking both an expansion of the company’s footprint in Southeast Asia and another step towards entering the car tyre market on an international scale.
The position of the Advance car tyre production line in Vietnam is also strategically valuable for those seeking alternatives to tariff-burdened Chinese tyre production bases.
Four years after we learnt of the project and a bit more than three years after retreaded tyre production started in January 2022, in June 2025, French retreading operation Black Star announced that it has achieved the milest of remanufacturing 500,000 tyres at its facility on the former Bridgestone new tyre factory in Béthune, France. According to the company, this symbolic milestone “embodies the success of an ambitious industrial project, the strength of a committed collective, and confirmation that another path to more sustainable mobility is possible”.
Following on from the preview we published in June, what follows is the concluding part of interview with Exmile founder and chief executive, Michael Zhang. See the July edition of Tyres & Accessories for the complete interview and further coverage of what took place at this year’s Guangrao Tyre Exhibition as well as news from the Chinese tyre industry in general. 20 years ago, Exmile didn’t exist. Meeting Michael Zhang during the course of the recent Guangaro Tyre Exhibition in Shandong Province revealed a unique personal biography that has led to the establishment and development of an uncommon company. From the start, quality has been prioritized over quantity at the same time that executives have invested in the brand over short-term sales wins.
The Apollo Tyres manufacturing facility in Hungary has been awarded the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification Plus (ISCC+) certification. The ISCC+ certification enables Apollo Tyres to rigorously monitor and verify sustainability throughout its processes and supply chain – from the responsible sourcing of raw materials to the delivery of finished products.
It is too early to say whether or not President Trump’s decision to order US B2 bombers to pre-emptively strike nuclear sites across Iran will impact the tyre business, but in the month before the bombs dropped, there were signs of significant growth in the domestic Iranian tyre sector.
Since its founding in 2006, Exmile has evolved from a niche player in industrial and OTR tyres to a global contender in truck and passenger car tyres. Now an OE supplier to over 30 major equipment brands and a trusted name in markets like Australia, the USA, and Europe, Exmile is steadily carving out its own brand identity. Tyres & Accessories sat down with founder Michael Zhang to explore the company’s growth, its innovative approach to manufacturing, and the surprising UK connections that shaped its journey.
Mykola Kalashnyk, head of the Regional State Administration of Kyiv Oblast, announced via Telegram that he had met with the Embassy of Finland in Ukraine and Black Donuts to discuss “the possibility of implementing a large-scale investment project in the Kyiv region to build a tyre production and processing plant”.
The Continental tyre factory in Sarreguemines, France, recently received the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS sustainability certification. This globally recognized standard certifies that Continental meets specific documentation requirements relating to the use of renewable and recycled raw materials. Certification of the raw materials enables Continental to ensure the end-to-end traceability of materials from renewable and recycled sources. And that is said to be a further step on the way to Continental’s goal of more than 40 per cent renewable and recycled materials in its tyre products by 2030.
Continental reports that its Indian factories will focus on the passenger car and light truck tyre (PLT) segment while stopping truck and bus radial tyre (TBR) production.
Affected by this, Continental’s plant in Modipuram, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India, will stop producing TBR products in June 2025. The tyre manufacturer said the TBR field is highly competitive and price-sensitive, and “sustaining long-term value from Continental’s premium offerings has been a significant challenge”.
Guizhou Tyre’s revenue in 2024 exceeded 10 billion yuan, reaching 10.69 billion yuan (about £1.1 billion; €1.31 billion), an increase of 11.35 per cent compared with 2023. However, the company – which largely trades under the Advance tyre brand in Europe – saw net profit in the reporting period decline, down more than 25 per cent year-on-year. Net cash flow decreased by 63.17 per cent year-on-year, a significant decline. However, with developments including starting the production of car tyres during 2025, a number of opportunities remain.
Sailun reports that the first first semi-steel radial tyre rolled off the production line of its Mexican tyre factory on 29 May. The tyre manufacturer described this moment as the initiation of its North American factory and “official production and operation”.
Goodyear has announced plans to close its tyre manufacturing facility in South Africa. The news comes as part of the tyremaker’s work on “transforming its go-to-market strategy in the Europe, Middle East & Africa region to optimise its footprint and portfolio”. In addition, certain sales, administration and general management (SAG) functions will also be affected. “The impact is approximately 900 jobs related to the proposed closure of the manufacturing plant in Kariega and the envisaged realignment of our SAG functions”, a Goodyear spokesperso told Tyres & Accessories.
Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Limited (DATL) is enhancing its manufacturing capabilities through significant factory upgrades at its location in Birmingham. DATL, which is a key player in the global aircraft tyre market, has invested £2,451,000 in capital expenditure, money which has been spent on factory upgrades including a new duplex cold feed extrusion line and a multi-phase roof cladding renovation, both designed to improve operational efficiency and sustainability, according to DATL’s most recent annual report. These upgrades come as the aviation industry recovers strongly, with Dunlop reporting a 5.4 per cent increase in turnover to £57,026,000 in 2024, driven by rising demand.
Sailun’s Indonesian factory saw its first passenger car radial tyre roll off the production line on 28 May, “marking the official start of production of Sailun’s fourth overseas production base in Southeast Asia” and “another key step in its globalisation strategy”, according to the company. In addition to Indonesia, Sailun has factories in Vietnam and Cambodia.
Shandong Yongsheng Rubber said it is preparing to build a factory with an annual production capacity of 6 million semi-steel radial tyres in Morocco. The project was filed on 28 May.
According to Chinese media Cheyuan Chezhe, Yongsheng Rubber’s Moroccan factory is expected to start construction within six months and gradually increase its production capacity to 12 million tyres per year. At the same time, Yongsheng Rubber’s second overseas factory is expected to be established in the next three years.
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Goodyear
