In the first 10 months of 2023, Shandong Province exported 290 million new pneumatic rubber tyres, an increase of 19.7 per cent over the same period last year, according to Qingdao Customs statistics. The value of tyre exports was 74.71 billion yuan, an increase of 20.7 per cent. The average tyre export price was 261.8 yuan per tyre, a rise of 0.8 per cent.
During the second quarter of 2023 exports of Spanish automotive equipment and components rose +7.6 per cent year-on-year, totalling 8,049 million euros. Between May and August, EU27 countries represented the biggest export grouping, amounting to a 67.1 per cent share of global export figures. The value of exports to EU countries rose +11.4 per cent in the period, reaching €5,400 million.
WMG at the University of Warwick in Coventry and Canada’s University of Victoria are the joint recipients of the inaugural Synthos Rubber Circularity Award, an international competition launched earlier this year to encourage cutting-edge ideas and solutions that significantly improve the environmental performance of synthetic rubber-based tyre compounds. Announcing the winners, Synthos states that the researchers impressed with their “breakthrough technology research concept” but did not elaborate on their work.
Nexen Tire reports that it is fortifying its European organizational structure by assigning new members in key positions. The moves includes “restructuring current functional department underneath” and the expansion of its presence in Germany through appointing a new managing director. At the same time, UK managing director responsibilities have been re-assigned.
Goodyear UK is investing in a television advertising campaign for its Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3.
The advert marks a step up in the ongoing TV advertising investment for Goodyear in the UK, with a campaign set to reach 50 million impressions across UK drivers, including viewers on Quest, DMAX, Discovery Turbo, Eurosport and Food Network.
Michelin started retreading tyres back in 1923. In the years that followed, the process was refined and demand grew, with the Michelin Remix process (REmould, MIchelin, and X the designation for the French tyremaker’s radials) born in the 1960s. Demand for retreads continued to increase, leading to the expansion of production at the Stoke-on-Trent plant in 1968. Since then, around 30 million worn tyres have been remanufactured at the Michelin plants in Stoke-on-Trent, UK and Homburg, Germany. With around 10 million of those retreads manufactured at the Campbell Road, Stoke-on-Trent operation, Tyres & Accessories went to see the latest developments at the largest retreading facility in the UK and arguably one the most modern retreading facilities in Europe.
On 1 August 2023, the Hubtrac tyre brand relocated its European operational headquarters and production facilities to Serbia. Strategic departments were inaugurated in the UK and Germany, marking the completion of a Europe-centric operational structure. The goal? The establishment of an undeniably European tyre brand alongside the already-established product R&D centre in Germany. According to the company, “this strategic shift heralds the dawn of a new era.” Tyres & Accessories met with the director of the Hubtrac brand and marketing department, Edward Xu, in order to learn more.
The British Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to the UAE, Gareth Johnson MP, accompanied by UK Ambassador to the UAE, Edward Hobart recently visited Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ). The delegation discussed trade relations between the UK and the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah and explored avenues for future cooperation and potential support for British companies looking to expand in the region.
Prometeon Tyre Group has launched its new SuperTruck UK network to supply its branded tyres alongside tailored maintenance and audit services for truck fleet operators. SuperTruck was first launched in Italy in 2019 and is successfully rolling out to six other European markets: Poland, Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland. According to the company, Prometeon UK has been working with an initial 16 tyre dealers to tailor their product offering and services in line with the company’s SuperTruck initiative designed uniquely to support the needs of truck fleet operators.
Following the news that the EU introduced new definitive duties against Chinese-produced truck tyres, and the suggestion that a UK investigation is imminent, the UK Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has initiated “two transition reviews into anti-dumping and countervailing measures on lorry and bus tyres imported from China”.
The years since 2020 have brought with them more than their fair share of upheaval. However, throughout that period the growth in importance of SUV and 4×4 tyre sales has continued basically unabashed. With that in mind Tyres & Accessories asked the market research specialists at GfK for their view on the latest headline trends in the UK market. However, while this article zeroes in on the UK market, the UK market position as an established leader in the wider European market take-up of SUVs – and therefore SUV tyres – means the trends identified are also relevant across the continental tyre markets.
Nexen Tire has increased the price of its winter tyres across all the company’s own brands in the replacement market. The new price list for winter tyres will be valid for the whole European market, including the United Kingdom and Turkey.
Following reports that Avon is set to become a two-wheel/motorcycle-only tyre brand in Germany in the future, Goodyear representatives have sought to clarify that the Avon brand will remain in the company’s product portfolio both for passenger and motorcycle tyres.
Following Goodyear’s takeover of Cooper and the integration of the German Cooper sales organization in Goodyear Germany, the German wing of Gooodyear EMEA has added two more logos to its product portfolio, those of the Cooper and of Avon brands. However, the German introduction of the latter is bringing with it significant changes in the Avon brand’s positioning.
Point S Tyre & Autocare was recently recognised as an IMI approved centre. According to the independent retail network, the achievement is “a significant step towards Point S’ goal of becoming the largest qualified and certified European network for electric vehicle maintenance by 2026.”
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RAKEZ
Nissan
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