As of 1 March 2021, the price of the rubber materials that Marangoni Retreading Systems supplies for tyre retreading will increase by 0.20 euros per kilogramme in all European markets. Marangoni says this increase reflects price increases for raw materials used within the sector.
During January 2021 more than 50 domestic Chinese tyre businesses announced plans to increase prices. And, according to Robert Ho, marketing officer at Comforser Tire Co. Ltd., we can expect still further prices increases in February and March.
Bridgestone will increase tyre prices in Europe on 1 March. Prices will increase by an average of 4 per cent on its truck and bus tyre products and by an average of 5 per cent on its passenger car and van tyre portfolio. The manufacturer said it has chosen to implement price hikes “due to the current market conditions.” Bridgestone added that its EMIA sales team will contact customers to provide more information about the changes.
The effects of the coronavirus and Brexit have led to an increasingly severe shipping bottleneck. The inevitable result of all of these factors is price increases. Tyres & Accessories spoke with Micheldever Tyre Services (MTS) wholesale director Graham Mitchell in order to find out more about what this means for the tyre retail sector.
Getting right to the point, are prices going to go up in 2021? “Undoubtedly,” was Mitchell’s immediate and definite response, with the wholesale director pointing to the three main factors behind the current and forthcoming price hikes as well as the different variables associated with each: “Containerised cost of product coming out of the far east…that’s not doubled, that’s quadrupled…a significant on-cost not to be underplayed…and then you’ve got a currency element that’s forcing manufacturing costs up as well.” The good news is that wholesale sources are confident that the containerised element is temporary, but the same cannot be said about other factors.
After months of mounting pressure on UK ports, the automotive industry is bearing visible signs of strain. Specifically, Honda UK halted production at its Swindon factory in December 2020 because it couldn’t get the right parts in time to continue production. But the ramifications don’t end there. General UK tyre supply is likely to be impacted too. And the result of the Brexit and Covid market pressures as well as shipping cost increases are likely to result in tyre industry price hikes during 2021.
Bridgestone EMIA (Europe Middle East India and Africa) has announced a price increase of up to 4 per cent.
Tokai Carbon has raised prices across all grades of carbon black effective 1 May 2020 by 6 yen a kilogram. According to the company, the price increase is because “Due to the impact of tighter regulations on bunker fuel oil sulphur content by international Marine Organization (IMO), the index used in previous price revisions can no longer be used.
Michelin North America says that prices for selected Michelin and BFGoodrich passenger and light truck tyres will increase by up to five per cent from 1 September. Specific details haven’t been publicly announced – Michelin invites its customers to “discuss details concerning the price increase directly with account managers.”
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