In the last month there have been some significant developments in the tire industry with respect to labelling. First, China has developed its own label. It was shown at a press conference in Beijing on 22 April 2016. Second the EU has published a major study on tire labelling Third, the EU has begun a
Category: legislation
Tire labelling in China and Europe: part 2
In the last month there have been some significant developments in the tire industry with respect to labelling. First, China has developed its own label. It was shown at a press conference in Beijing on 22 April 2016. Second the EU has published a major study on tire labelling Third, the EU has begun a
Tire labelling in China and Europe: part 1
In the last month there have been some significant developments in the tire industry with respect to labelling. First, China has developed its own label. It was shown at a press conference in Beijing on 22 April 2016. Second the EU has published a major study on tire labelling Third, the EU has begun a
Tire testing comes under intense scrutiny
Last week, Nokian implicitly admitted that it rigged magazine tests of tires. In this column I want to look at how and why it might have done that and then look at some of the implications of the admission. Nokian admits rigging tests First, the facts as we know them. Finnish newspaper Kauppalehti last week
Tariff pressure on Chinese truck tires grows
In the evening (US time) of 29 January, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) formally announced its decision to investigate allegations of dumping of China-made truck tires and a separate allegation of unfair subsidies. These could result in anti-dumping duties and countervailing duties respectively. Late last night in the US, the ITC posted a timetable
TPMS law drives All-season tire development in Europe
At the Frankfurt IAA motor show yesterday, two major themes emerged from my conversations with tire makers: New European legislation on TPMS is pushing tire makers to develop super-charged All-Season tires for European markets Global legislation on fuel economy means car makers are setting extreme targets for tire rolling resistance EU market moving toward All-Season
China introduces tire labelling – where are the opportunities?
At a meeting in Yancheng, China this week, over 100 tire industry experts assembled to discuss the programme for introducing consumer labels for Chinese tires. 2016 will be a voluntary preparation period. 2017 will see the first voluntary labels associated with tires by leading brands 2018 the government will publish lists to say which tires
China’s tire makers in meltdown
A perfect storm of negative conditions is driving huge changes in China’s tire industry, causing a meltdown in profitability and output among Chinese tire makers. Desperate Chinese tire makers are driving sharp price falls in almost every tire market and simultaneously forcing down prices of raw materials, notably natural and synthetic rubber. In dollar terms,
How China’s Tire sector might develop – Part 2
In the previous article, I addressed how the international tire makers’ profitability in China might be threatened by greater availability of consumer data on tires. This article looks at the situation of China’s tire makers and how that might change in the coming decade or so. Falling prices China’s tire industry is probably the most
How China’s Tire sector might develop – Part 1
I’ve spent a lot of time talking to people in China these last couple of months, and the mood is not happy. First, they are dealing with a downturn in the domestic truck market; second there is the issue of widespread tariffs against Chinese-made tires and third the question of land prices. The prospect of