Red Avenue is preparing to invest in Thailand’s rubber additive production capacity. Specifically, Red Avenue, through its wholly owned subsidiary Red Avenue Group Limited in Hong Kong and an affiliated company called Gold Dynasty Limited, is jointly building a 30,000-ton rubber additive production base in Rayong Province, Thailand. The Thailand factory is expected to be completed in 2027.
This time last year, Tyres & Accessories reflected on the changes witnessed in the sources of commercial vehicle tyre imports into the 27 countries of the European Union and the United Kingdom (EU27+UK) since the EU’s tariffs regime and the change accelerant of the Covid pandemic. In 2017, China was supplying 65 per cent of all imports in this market, which at that point measured a little more than 7 million units. With Turkey the source of around 10 per cent, and Korea and Japan supplying around 5 per cent each, only around 15 per cent of CV tyre imports were sourced outside these four countries.
On 22 February, Yanggu Huatai held a groundbreaking ceremony for its Thailand factory. The factory is scheduled for production in the first quarter of 2026. After reaching full capacity, it will be able to produce 30,000 tons of high-performance rubber additives per year, including 10,000 tons of rubber protective wax, 10,000 tons of rubber processing aids and 10,000 tons of high-performance silane coupling agents.
In response to growing demand for its multi-piece run-flat system, Tyron Runflat has moved production to a larger, purpose-built manufacturing and testing facility in Pattaya, Thailand. The company says that following “a number of green shoots and new partnerships,” the 3,000 square metre factory has been specifically built to facilitate demand for the Tyron product.
On 30 November 2024, Linglong held a global partner meeting in Spain to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the opening of Linglong’s Thailand tyrefactory.
Linglong chairman Wang Feng attended the meeting. In his speech, he reviewed the glorious journey and remarkable achievements of Linglong Thailand in the past ten years and expressed his heartfelt gratitude to global partners.
Sustainable tyre manufacturing took a step forward in 2021 when Pirelli introduced the first Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified tyre, designed specifically for the BMW X5 plug-in hybrid. Supporting this milestone was Thai Eastern Group Holdings (TEGH), which supplied the FSC-certified block rubber that Pirelli used to make the certified P Zero tyre. Earlier this year, we visited the Chonburi plantation of Thailand’s first FSC-certified block rubber producer to find out more about the company and its efforts to deliver sustainability.
In 2025, Hubtrac plans to enter the U.S. market through both online and offline channels, offering 24/7 tyre replacement and maintenance services. Following the completion of its Serbia production base, the Hubtrac brand has announced that tyres made by its German and US design teams are being specifically tailored for the U.S. market.
Since September, the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC) has launched an investigation into the circumvention of anti-dumping investigations by redirecting tyres from China to Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.
The Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) has approved an additional US$400 million investment by Continental Tyres (Thailand) Co. Ltd. in the firm’s Rayong production base. According to BOI, the funds are for the expansion of tyre production in the country, boosting output to 7.8 million tyres per year. Of course, BOI officials also noted that such an investment consolidates “Thailand’s status as the World’s second largest tyre production base”.
Japanese general trading company Marubeni Corporation has announced its investment in Thailand-based waste tyre pyrolysis recycler Green Rubber Energy Company Limited (GRE). By investing in this venture, Marubeni intends to establish a tyre recycling supply chain in Thailand that encompasses the collection of end-of-life tyres and the production and sale of recycled materials such as recovered carbon black and tyre pyrolysis oil. Marubeni has not disclosed the size of its investment in GRE.
On 28 June, Jiangsu General held commissioning ceremonies for its Thailand and Wuxi car tyre plants, involving a total production capacity of 16 million semi-steel radial tyres.
Hubtrac Tires Europe’s sales division has raised its sales forecast for the third quarter of 2024. According to the company, executives of which Tyres & Accessories met with during the recent Tire Cologne exhibition, the revision is primarily driven by “the strategic geographical advantage of its top-tier production plant in Serbia and the recent sharp increase in shipping prices from China and Southeast Asia to Europe”.
Jiangsu General said the Thailand plant’s construction project (Phase II) has been modified. Specifically, the tyre manufacturer has increased the production capacity of semi-steel radial tyres at overseas bases and cancelled the plan to expand the production capacity of full-steel radial tyres.
Tyrexpo Asia 2024 in Bangkok attracted more than 4,000 attendees, with 92 exhibitors and over 150 tyre and accessory product buyers hailing from 72 countries. The attendees encompass a mixture of distributors, retailers, importers, logistic distribution, transportation and supply chain companies. It was the first dedicated Tyre & Accessories Equipment show staged in Thailand, by the event organisers, Informa Markets. The event was jointly opened by guest of honour, Captain Thammannt Prompau – minister of agriculture & cooperatives Thailand, Nakorn Tangavirapal – governor of the Rubber Authority of Thailand and Patrapee Chinachoti – co-chairman of Informa Markets Thailand.
In 2023, Jiangsu General’s revenue was approximately 5.06 billion yuan (approximately £540 million; €640 million), with a net profit of 220 million yuan (about £ 24 million; €28 million). Compared with the net profit of approximately 17 million yuan (about £1.8 million; € 2.16 million) in 2022, the company’s profit has increased more than tenfold in the past year.
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