The four main tire manufacturers based in Japan have now all announced their results for calendar 2022. With sales volume on the rise, a weak yen, and a spate of price hikes made in response to surging raw material costs and other costs, all four of these companies saw their revenue increase for the year. However, they were split with...
Nihon Michelin Tire will add the Michelin Crossclimate 2 SUV to its Michelin Crossclimate 2 series of all-weather tires. The new tire will go on sale on August 8 and will come in a range of 30 sizes from 17 inch to 20 inch. This product is an addition to the Michelin Crossclimate 2 series of all-weather tires that meet...
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) held a general shareholders meeting on March 29, with the company fielding questions from shareholders on three main topics: sales strategy in regions where the Dunlop brand is struggling, the impact of the recent strong yen, and responses to the trend toward electric vehicles (EVs). A Sumitomo Rubber representative noted that in Europe, the U.S.,...
The production volume of automobile tire tubes for April was 87,005 tons, a year-on-year decline of 6.3 percent. It marks the 17th consecutive month of production decline, according to data compiled by the Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association (JATMA). Four of six tire tube classifications saw year-on-year declines in production volume: trucks and buses, 9.1 percent; small trucks, 9.7 percent;...
Japanese tire companies are reaping higher profits in the North American market with the help of a livelier U.S. economy. That help is coming in the form of strong sales of large vehicles in the U.S. that is creating major demand for large tires fitted onto pickup trucks and SUVs. Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) has responded to this demand by announcing...
Hikomitsu Noji, president of Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101), recently spoke with the Japan Rubber Weekly about the direction of the tire and non-tire businesses under the company’s current medium-term management plan. Noji said his company will concentrate on leveraging its advanced technological prowess based on three pillars: (1) focus on the global OE market; (2) achieve a stronger presence...
