Top Chinese Tiremakers Expected at Reifen China 2013
With China now the largest car and tire producing marketing on earth, and with five Chinese tiremakers in the global top 20 its importance cannot be ignored. In addition to scale, the largest Chinese manufacturers are increasingly investing in upping the standards of products they products, with their eyes on the global OE prize. The
‘Price Aggressive’ Chinese Pushing Carlisle Out?
To hear Carlisle Companies tell it, the company’s eminent departure from the tire business is all China’s fault. Chinese competitors, claimed David Roberts, Carlisle CEO, in an interview with the Charlotte Observer, are “price aggressive.” As if this was some kind of new revelation, that Carlisle had previously been impervious to that factor. As if
A Different View on Auto Bild Chinese Tire Tests
China Daily newspaper on Aug. 5 published a story with its take on recent tests comparing the performance of branded tires produced in China vs. their counterparts produced in Europe and Japan. Auto Bild’s story did give decent marks to the Chinese-made versions of Michelin, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Yokohama and Goodyear tires, but was generally harsh
China’s Tiremakers Shifting to Consumer Tires, Away from Truck
Bloomberg News reports that natural rubber demand in China has shifted away from the heavy equipment and truck tire segments back over to consumer tires. Even with this shift, however, China’s net rubber consumption will remain flat for 2013, good news for tire pricing worldwide. According to Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co. chairman Shen Jinrong, Bloomberg
Report: Chinese Investors Lean on NR as Loan Collateral
Reuters has reported that Chinese investors are stockpiling natural rubber to use as collateral for financing, actions the report said directly drove "prices to 10-month highs." Worse yet, the stockpiling could cause damage to that rubber, which can only be stored for limited periods. "The financing deals, which have pushed rubber stocks in China to
Bridgestone Wins Trademark Case Against Chinese Firm
Bridgestone Corp. has won a lawsuit against Chinese tiremaker Guangzhou Bolex Tyre Ltd. – manufacturer of the Gemstone tire brand – regarding infringement of trademark rights.
Tire Label, Tariff a ‘Double Whammy’ for Chinese Tiremakers
On its Chinese-language website, the China Rubber Industry Association links the recently-expired U.S. tariff on consumer tires with the European tire label - and refers to both as a "double whammy" for China’s tiremakers. The tariff, which the association also called an attempt at trade protectionism, is held responsible for China’s passenger car and light
Chinese Tiremakers Urged to ‘Accelerate Transformation’
[Editor’s Note: This story by Liang Rui appeared on the website China Economic Net on Sept. 20.] To change the low profitability of China’s domestic tire industry, enterprises need to improve core competitiveness, increase the technology content and added value of products, reinforce brand building, and make more consumers aware of the high cost-performance ratio
Sumitomo Opens Second Chinese Plant
On July 16, Sumitomo Rubber Industries officially opened its second tire factory in China. The Sumitomo Rubber (Hunan) Co. plant, located in the city of Changsha, is set up for the manufacture of passenger car tires. Production is underway and plant capacity is slated to reach 15,000 units a day by the end of next
Specialty Tires Vital Says Bridgestone CEO
Recently appointed Bridgestone Corp. CEO Masaaki Tsuya spoke candidly about the tiremaker’s future against a backdrop of increasing competition from Asian manufacturers and global economic challenges. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Tsuya stated that Bridgestone must focus on high-end and more specialized products in order to survive. "We will lose if we