Failure to Comply?
Tyrepress.com has published a new question of the month for September. After getting off to a positive starte with our launch question (which showed that a large majority of readers favour the new-look tyrepress.com) this month’s readers poll looks at how long it will take for dealers to comply with the new s-marking ruling which is set to officially take effect on 1 October. At the moment the first few responses seem pessimistic about the chances of largescale compliance before March 2010, short of a robocop kind of enforcement. However, every point of view needs to be taken into account. So, to cast your vote click 'home' to answer this month's question. Every opinion counts so don’t forget to leave a comment.
Continue ReadingCommittee Urges Obama to Support USW Petition
In a letter to President Obama, David Hartquist, executive director of the Committee to Support US Trade Laws (CSUSTL), encouraged the President to support a petition brought by the United Steelworkers union.
Continue ReadingSchrader: EU Accident Prevention Rules May Compromise Road Safety
From 2012 all new cars sold in Europe will have to be fitted with tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) as standard. However, leading TPMS-maker Schrader Electronics believes the legislation passed by the European Parliament earlier this year is flawed and could even compromise road safety. The concerns centre on the fact that the forthcoming rules make two types of TPMS technologies available to car companies - direct and indirect measuring systems. The tyre and TPMS industries favour solutions such as the direct system which places a pressure sensor in each wheel and transmits reliable pressure measurement information back to the car data centre which then informs the driver immediately about the condition of its tyres.
Continue ReadingTyre s-marking statutory instrument delayed
I had to say it, didn’t I? I should have known better than to put proverbial pen to paper and write “unless there is an unlikely 11th hour stay of execution at the European parliament.” I should have known better because no sooner had these words gone to print then exactly this happened. I am, of course, referring to the wonderful s-mark legislation (also known as regulation 2001/43), which has become the subject of so much coverage in Tyres & Accessories recently. Apparently, tyres won’t necessarily need an s-mark to comply with regulation 2001/43 and, er, be s-marked. However, it doesn’t end there. The latest from the Department for Transport is that there has been a “delay in putting into place the statutory instrument which is required for the new s-marking regulations to become law.” In short, there won’t be any means of enforcing the new law in the UK until March 2010. This fact doesn’t affect the other European markets, which will all have to comply by the original 1 October 2009 deadline.
Continue ReadingITC Report Available
The International Trade Commission has issued its massive report and recommendation concerning imported Chinese-produced passenger tyres, which has been presented to President Obama for his consideration. Click to download a <a href="http://reifenpresse.de/CDML007/en/pdf/itc150709.pdf">PDF</a> of the complete report The 208-page report includes all of the materials and testimony the ITC considered in reaching its recommendation to impose a tiered, three-year additional tariff on the tires. It also includes the minority view on the decision, which was reached in a 4-2 vote. President Obama has until 17 Sept. 17 to decide on the ITC recommendation. (Tire Review/Akron)
Continue ReadingUK Batteries Embrace REACH Legislation
UK Batteries reports having fully embraced the new ‘REACH legislation’ that came in to effect on September 1, 2008 and requires battery producers and distributors at different levels in the supply chain to meet strict labelling criteria that ensures customers are not mislead. Specifically, the REACH legislation requires all battery products to display a specification label that generally relates to the CCA (starting power) and the Ampere Hour (durability) of the unit. All batteries sold after September 1 must display the correct label, and UK Batteries, said to be the UK’s fastest-growing independent distributor, says it is proud that all of its products are now fully REACH compliant.
Continue ReadingTyre Industry Response to REACH Legislation
Due to be phased in over the next 10 years, the European Union’s chemical usage legislation REACH – dealing with the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances – holds implications for many at all levels of the tyre industry. Most specifically, the legislation’s requirement of businesses to register chemicals they produce or use has obvious repercussions for raw material suppliers and manufacturers. Recognising this, the European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) – which represents the EU’s 11 top tyre manufacturers, namely Bridgestone, Continental, Cooper Tires, Goodyear Dunlop, Marangoni, Michelin, Mitas, Nokian, Pirelli, Trelleborg Wheel Systems and Vredestein – discussed the progress of researchers over the past 16 months at the international Tyre Industry CEO Meeting in Tokyo on 12 June alongside representatives of the US, Korean and Japanese industries.
Continue ReadingReports: EU Legislation Will Kill Budget Tyres
New EU regulations could lead to “type approval” of tyre specifications on CO2 emissions, effectively pushing out economy options that perform lower than the premium brands in this respect. According to an Auto Express, new EU rules aimed at cutting CO2 emissions could mean that drivers are forced to spend hundreds of pounds more to get the most fuel efficient tyres, increasing the so-called OE pull-through effect and therefore premium brand sales. Auto Express states that if the proposals go ahead, drivers who have purchased new or used cars that come with CO2 reducing low-energy rubber tyres would need to replace these with the same type or face failing their MOT.
Continue ReadingGoodyear/Ledbetter Legislation Approved in US
What began as a pay dispute between Goodyear and a former employee has worked its way through the US House of Representatives. To minimise the impact of a Supreme Court ruling in favour of the tyremaker in the recent Ledbetter v. Goodyear case, which many believe will severely hamper the ability of employees to seek legal remedies to pay discrimination disputes, the House approved a piece of legislation allowing workers to file a grievance within 180 days of receiving a pay cheque that reflects a discriminatory pay decision -- even if the decision itself was made months or years before. This new legislation, known as the “Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007,” was accompanied by another bill that would repeal current federal limits on fiscal damages that can be awarded to employees in certain types of discrimination claims. The “Equal Remedies Act of 2007” would remove the current upper limit on claims for breaches of anti-discrimination laws. These current limits are between US$50,000 and $300,000 – the precise ceiling is determined by the size of the employer.
Continue ReadingUSW Weighs in on Failed Legislation
(Akron/Tire Review) As expected, the United Steelworkers voiced its disappointment that the U.S. Senate pushed aside a major change to the National Labor Relations Act – the so-called Employee Free Choice Act – that would have made it considerably easier for workers to form labour unions at any sized employer. At the same time, USW President Leo Gerard said that while the bill will not likely be passed by Congress or signed by President Bush, “the promise of the bill’s passage by a new administration is well within reach.” Last week, the Senate voted 51-48 to move the bill forward, falling short of the 60 votes needed to proceed to a final vote.
Continue ReadingRepair Shop Licensing Legislation Introduced In Texas
(Akron/Tire Review) A bill requiring all automotive repair shops to be registered has been introduced in both the Texas state Senate and House of Representatives. The companion bills introduced are Senate Bill 1120 (introduced by Sen. John Carona (R-16th)) and House Bill 2211 (by Rep. Jim Murphy (R-133rd)). Both bills are currently in committee. If passed, the legislation will create a specific state commission, with a paid executive director, and 12-member automobile service and repair advisory board that will include representatives of the auto repair industry and consumers. The board will regulate proposed amendments and changes to the shop licensing requirements required by this legislation.
Continue ReadingTIA Supports Rolling Resistance Legislation
On 18 July the US Tire Industry Association (TIA) announced its support of House Resolution 5632, after “much deliberation,” TIA has decided to support H. R. 5632. The TIA Government Affairs Committee was able to come to a consensus after weighing the pros and cons of the legislation, the association said in a statement. “We were very pleased to receive feedback and questions from our membership regarding H.R. 5632,” said TIA President, Bob Malerba. “It was extremely helpful to our Government Affairs Committee in making a decision on whether to support the bill.”
Continue ReadingWRAP Forum Focuses on Landfill Ban Legislation
The impact of new legislation banning tyre shred from landfill sites was the main discussion topic during the second WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) Tyres Stakeholder Forum. Over fifty representatives from organisations involved in both new and recycled tyre markets gathered in London in January to receive updates on WRAP’s progress since the first Forum, held last June, and continue to provide views and guidance to WRAP on its activities under the programme.
Continue ReadingIsrael Announces New Tyre Recycling Legislation
Israel’s Knesset has approved the first reading of new legislation designed to curb the amount of waste tyres and the spread of dengue fever. Israel produces two million waste tyres each year and, according to Environment Ministry data, doesn’t yet have any recycling plants.
Continue ReadingGreenhouse Gas Legislation To Affect Tyre Production?
The EU is planning legislation to significantly reduce (by 25 per cent) the amount of fluorinated greenhouse gases in a range of products by 2010. One of the worst greenhouse gases is sulphur hexafluoride, which is present in tyres, and which has a greenhouse effect 23,900 times that of carbon dioxide. Should the proposals become law, any EU country not meeting the standards could face sanctions and non-EU countries wanting to export goods that do not comply with the standards into Europe would be prevented from doing so.
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