Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised its risk level for Russia – including Moscow – to Level 3 on March 7, constituting a recommendation to stop travel to the country. And against this backdrop, tire manufacturers with local subsidiaries in Russia are now pursuing measures such as pulling locally stationed employees out of the country. Bridgestone is approving special temporary...
industry trends
Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Sparks Concern Over Potential Impact on Rubber Industry
There are concerns that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could impact the business operations of tire-focused rubber companies. There are two Japanese tire manufacturers who have production bases in Russia: Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) and Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101). Both of these bases operate on a local-production-for-local-consumption approach, focusing on domestic Russian demand. More broadly, tires make up the bulk of...
Japanese Tire Manufacturers Face Surging Costs Despite Results Recovery for 2021
Japan’s major tire manufacturers have now all released their business results for calendar 2021 – showing a significant recovery compared to 2020, when COVID-related production restrictions and other such factors caused business to slump significantly. For 2022, however, these companies are expecting a rough year, with projections that the surging costs of raw materials and marine freight will make for...
Companies Look to Expand SUV Tire Lineups as Sales Battle Begins for Studless Winter Tires
The competition over studless winter tire sales has gotten properly under way for another year. Even as they acknowledge the market’s unpredictability amid the continued pandemic, each tire manufacturer here is aiming to boost sales by expanding their SUV-related product lineups, as well as by making the most of the lessons they learned from pursuing sales in the midst of...
Bridgestone’s Hose Business Sees V-Shaped Demand Recovery Both Domestically and Abroad
Bridgestone Corp.’s (TYO:5108) hose business has shown promising trends with its first-half results for calendar 2021. With demand marking a V-shaped recovery from last year both in Japan and overseas, the company’s business here has managed year-on-year increases in both sales revenue and profit, with the former of these metrics rising by double digits. Domestically, hose demand in OE applications...
Semiconductor Demand Drives Strong Sales for Plastic Hoses and Tubes
Companies in the rubber and plastic hose sector are continuing to see a good level of sales for their plastic hoses and tubes. Amid high global demand for semiconductors and related products, a surge of activity has come about surrounding hoses and tubes for use in semiconductor manufacturing equipment. On top of this, the likes of suction hoses for use...