Pirelli is donating 500,000 euros to help Ukranian refugees stricken by the war. In addition, the company will also establish a bank account accessible to its employees to collect their donations.
Despite the war in neighbouring Ukraine and the resulting sanctions imposed on Russia by the international community, as of 2 March 2022, company representatives told Tyres & Accessories the Yokohama’s Russian tyre manufacturing operation in Lipetsk, 500 kilometres south of Moscow, is running as normal.
Koelnmesse, the organisers of The Tire Cologne exhibitiom, are suspending cooperation with Russian companies in support of the people of Ukraine. Writing in statement published online on 1 March 2022, Gerald Baese, CEO of Koelnmesse GmbH said:
The team at Borbet in Germany’s Hochsauerland region are making their own contribution to help people in Ukraine. The wheel manufacturer, which is headquartered in Hochsauerland and operates two further facilities there, says a van filled with “care packages” left one of the sites on Monday and is driving the approximately 800 miles to the embattled country.
Goodyear has accounted for all its associates in Ukraine and “continues to monitor the situation and support associates and customers”. Writing in a statement sent in answer to Tyres & Accessories questions on the matter, a company spokesperson outlined Goodyear’s current position:
While announcing its latest financial results, Pirelli has shared details of the steps it has taken to mitigate the impact of the “Russia-Ukraine crisis”. Writing on 23 February, executives explained that Pirelli has conducted an initial analysis of the situation and steps required.
The tragedy of war always has repercussions. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the end of February is no exception. With reports of thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of people already displaced, the human cost is incalculable. While blood is being spilt in Ukraine at a horrifying rate, this war is being fought on at least three fronts: military, electronic and financial. The human cost of the military dimension is beyond the scope of this publication. Likewise, cyber-warfare is probably a bridge too far (unless we are talking about vehicle cyber security, which is of increasing importance right down to the aftermarket garage level – see pages 16 to 17 of our forthcoming March edition for more on this). The economic cost of the war in Ukraine, however, will have an inevitable impact on European tyre production directly due to conflict and indirectly due to logistics and the impact of sanctions.
At the end of 2021 Ukraine’s only domestic tyre manufacturer, Rosava, hailed the strength of its partnerships with neighbouring Belarussian tyre manufacturing materials suppliers. Rosava representatives said “Established partnerships are the most effective tool for achieving common goals. Thus, our partners are always welcome to visit our company.”
Nokian has dropped its 2022 financial guidance as a result of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia where Nokian runs a tyre manufacturing plant in Vsevolozhsk, near Saint Petersburg.
Ukranian tyre maker Rosava has shared an update on its activities in the US tyre market. It began exporting tyres to the USA in 2019, initially exporting 50,000 tyres a year. Rapid growth ensued, and Rosava reports that it has shipped 400,000 tyres to the USA in the first nine months of 2021.
A focus on export markets seems to be delivering results for Ukrainian tyre maker Rosava. The company is developing a “niche strategy focused on the European and US markets,” and reports that exports have grown to 61 per cent of total sales in the first half of 2021, up from 45 per cent in the first half of 2018. “This is possible due to the continuous upgrading, expansion of the tyre range and improvement of rubber compounding based on international standards,” shares the tyre maker.
Six years ago, when Brazil introduced anti-dumping duties on car tyres imported from Ukraine, tyre maker Rosava withdrew from this market. It reports that it is now back, and following negotiations with a key player in Brazil’s tyre market will begin shipping 50,000 summer tyres a month.
Rosava reports that its modernisation programme is continuing despite the coronavirus crisis. The Ukraine-based tyre maker shares that six containers with a new VMI Exxium tyre builder arrived at its plant today. This will allow it to extend its portfolio with increased production of 15- to 20-inch dimensions.
Ukranian tyre maker Rosava has temporarily stopped production at both its production sites as part of efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus. It intends to halt production until 24 April. The company says shipments of products will continue from its warehouses as orders are received.
Rosava shares its pride in being the first tyre maker in the CIS region to develop and offer a passenger car tyre for 20-inch rim diameters. This CIS first it the Premiorri Solanzo S Plus in size 235/55 R20.
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