Algeria’s first tire company will exhibit in the China International Tire Expo (CITEXPO) in Shanghai from Aug. 19-21.

Based in Sétif, located about 180 miles east of Algiers, Iris Tyre was founded by Algerian consumer electronics and household appliances group Eurl Saterex-Iris. It is the first tyre factory in Algeria since Michelin Group closed its plant in the capital in 2013.

“The Algerian market consumes more than 7 million tires a year and the products currently imported are generally of poor quality. This represents a fantastic opportunity to repeat our manufacturing success in another sector,” said Yacine Guidoum, managing director of Eurl Saterex-Iris. “As well as producing locally-branded tires to meet Algerian demand, we will be exporting about a third of our output to European and African markets.”