All-terrain tyres are gaining popularity amongst owners of campers and pick-ups, with their chunky treads promising good traction on all surfaces. But are they really the right tyre for the great outdoors? To answer this question, European motoring associations ADAC, ÖAMTC and TCS assessed eight all-terrain tyres in 225/65 R17, a dimension worn by the VW Transporter and Multivan.
After the European Commission (EC) published and then withdrew a web page stating that it will initiate an anti-dumping investigation into Chinese-produced car tyres, news of the investigation has now been confirmed by sources in the UK and Europe. In answer to questions from Tyres & Accessories, ITMA chairman Alfred Graham confirmed that “the Chinese Mission in Brussels have been informed by the EU”.
Brand Finance has published its Tyres 25 report for 2025, and this year the independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy welcomes a Chinese tyre brand into the Top 10 of its Most Valuable Tyre Brands ranking. Sailun arrives in tenth place with a brand value of US$905 million, knocking out Toyo Tires.
On 7 May 2025, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (SRI) finalised its acquisition of the trademark and other rights to the Dunlop brand for the four-wheel vehicle segment in Europe, North America, and Oceania. SRI paid The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company US$526 million for the Dunlop brand, $105 million for a transition support fee, including the transition of customers in Europe, and $104 million for inventory.
Chinese tyre manufacturer Sentury Tire appears to have abandoned its plans to build a major tyre factory in Spain, redirecting its planned three-digit-million-euro investment there to expand its existing facility in Tangier, Morocco, according to various Arabic language news sources including Al-Oumk. The decision, which was reportedly driven by administrative and environmental permit issues in Spain, is expected to boost the Tangier plant’s production capacity to 12 million tyres annually.
Over the May bank holiday weekend (2-5 May) many of us were outside enjoying the sunshine. Not so at the European Commission where staff were apparently preparing for the initiation of an anti-dumping investigation into Chinese-produced passenger car radial tyres known as AD733. However, by the time we at Tyres & Accessories returned to work, all references to AD733 had been removed from the European Commission’s website. Nevertheless, we have seen screenshots of the page in question taken by more than three distinct sources. Cached search results also show pages referring to AD733. T&A contacted five different European Commission (EC) press officers for confirmation of the EC’s position in relation to investigating imports of Chinese-produced car tyres into Europe. At the time of going to press, there had been no comment from the EC.
After more than a decade at the helm of the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA), CEO Stefan Hay will step down from his role this summer. Hay will formally leave the NTDA at the end of July 2025 and will take up the role of CEO at the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances (AMDEA) at the beginning of August. Recruitment for his successor is already well underway, with the NTDA board seeking a new chief executive to build on the platform Stefan Hay has established.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has launched a new brand identity for its Avon Tyres range, one it says builds on the brand’s “proud history in the motorcycle world.” The rollout of this identity accompanies a “major industrial upgrade” for the European plant that manufactures Avon two-wheeler tyres. This facility is now equipped with five state of the art building machines and an all-new finishing line dedicated to the eye-catching whitewalls that characterise the Avon custom range.
Reporting its Q1 2025 financial results, Continental says it “made a solid start to the year” with performance that was “significantly better” than its first quarter of 2024. Consolidated sales for the quarter reached €9.7 billion, down -0.8% year on year, with adjusted operating result increasing to €639 million, which corresponds to an adjusted EBIT margin of 6.6%. Net income in the first quarter was €68 million (Q1 2024: -€53 million). Adjusted free cash flow was significantly higher than in the previous year but, due to the seasonal nature of the business, was still negative at -€304 million (Q1 2024: -€1.1 billion).
Following the Defra Minister Mary Creagh MP’s “robust” statements in answer to questions on used tyre exports and other matter pertaining to tyre recovery in the UK on 29 April, the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) has responded with cautious optimism. Prompted by the concerning revelations of the BBC’s File on 4 documentary, The Tyre Scandal, the debate saw the Minister acknowledge the programme’s “deeply upsetting” findings and pledge a crackdown on “waste cowboys” to “clean up Britain”. Telling the chamber in a Westminster Hall debate that it was time to “close the waste loopholes” the minister said: “We have got to stop outsourcing our waste problems to other countries.” She summed up her position by quoting a song made famous by Elvis Presley: “A little less conversation, a little more action.”
The issue of used tyre exports was the subject of a Westminster Hall debate today (29 April) at 11:00. Tessa Munt, the Liberal Democrat MP for Wells and Mendip Hills, asked the Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Mary Creagh (Labour MP for Coventry East) a series of 13 questions around both the issue and the Environment Agency’s review of the situation, announced by the government in response to increased scrutiny of the sector. This was raised following a BBC documentary, The Tyre Scandal, exposing the damage caused by UK waste tyres being burnt in India, in addition to a legal challenge brought by the campaign group Fighting Dirty on the UK’s failure to prevent the illegal use of ELTs exported to India. The debate, which was welcomed by the Tyre Recovery Association, covered a lot of ground beyond the procedure used for the EA review, taking into account the loss to the UK’s circular economy these waste tyre exports represent as well as the legal and ethical problems associated with the current situation.
Yesterday Pirelli published a board-level declaration that Sinochem no longer “controls” Pirelli. However, elsewhere in Pirelli’s own statement, the company also qualified that definitive-sounding remark with the following note: “the decision regarding the absence of control of the shareholder Sinochem represents a first, but not decisive, step on the path to the necessary adjustment of company governance…”. Therefore, it was no surprise to learn that Sinochem, which holds its 37 per cent stake in Pirelli through investment vehicle Marco Polo International, sees things differently.
Pirelli officials have confirmed that Sinochem Group’s control over Pirelli has ended. The news follows reports earlier in the day and ongoing talks between the company and its major shareholders based on fears that too strong a Chinese position would hinder Pirelli’s development in the USA. However official documents also state “the decision regarding the absence of control of the shareholder Sinochem represents a first, but not decisive, step on the path to the necessary adjustment of company governance…”
Paolo Pompei officially took over as chief executive officer (CEO) of Nokian Tyres Plc on 1 January 2025. With a distinguished career spanning decades in the tyre business including leadership positions at Yokohama TWS, Trelleborg Group, and Pirelli, Pompei brings a wealth of international expertise and a proven track record of driving growth and innovation. Since taking over at Nokian, production at the company’s landmark zero-emission Romania factory has got underway. And – as of the week prior to our exclusive interview – in early April, deliveries began.
Bond International has completed the acquisition of Tyresoft Ltd. The news follows the acquisition of Tyrescope earlier this month and a number of strategic wholesale moves announced last year. Together, the acquisitions demonstrate that the company’s growth strategy is still ongoing. Tyresoft Ltd has become well-known as a “one stop complete management system for the tyre and automotive industry”, according to Bond International. Established in 2011 by Marcus Hathaway, the business has grown a strong customer base with Bond representatives describing it as “a market leader in the tyre industry software market”.
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