Yokohama Rubber has revised upward its financial targets for its new medium-term management plan Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026) announced on February 16. The company took into account the current strong performance, the realization of technology and production reforms that it will pursue, and the performance of the OTR (off-the-road tire) business to be acquired from Goodyear. It upwardly revised its...
yokohama rubber
Four Japanese Tire Makers Post Record Sales and Profit in First Half
The four Japanese tire makers have released their first half (January-June) results for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024. Bridgestone, Sumitomo Rubber, Yokohama Rubber and Toyo Tires all posted record-high sales and profits for the period. Although tire sales volume was slightly struggling, the external environment, including raw material prices, yen depreciation, and lower ocean freight rates, in addition...

Interview With Yokohama Rubber President and COO Shinji Seimiya
Japan Rubber Weekly recently sat down with Shinji Seimiya, president and COO of Yokohama Rubber, to talk about the company’s latest developments. Semiya is in charge of tire design and development, as well as manufacturing, quality, and and overseeing technology and production on a global scale. Under the new mid-term management plan Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026), which started this year,...
Yokohama Rubber to Acquire Goodyear OTR Business
Yokohama Rubber will acquire the off-the-road tire (OTR) business for mining and construction vehicles of U.S.-based tire producer and distributor Goodyear. The acquisition is priced at $905 million and will be completed after receiving approval from the relevant authorities. Goodyear’s OTR business had sales of $678 million in fiscal 2023, EBITDA of $129 million, and an EBITDA margin of 19.0%....
Yokohama Rubber to Build New Passenger Car Tire Plant in China
Yokohama Rubber will build a new passenger car tire plant in China. The production capacity will start at 9 million tires per year and is expected to expand in the future. The investment will be 1.96 billion yuan ($269.62 million), with production scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2026. The construction of the new plant is in response...
Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration Reveals Molecular-Level Bonding State of Rubber and Silica
The Japan Atomic Energy Agency, the Comprehensive Research Organization for Science and Society (CROSS), the J-PARC Center, Yamagata University, Mie University, Kyoto University, and Yokohama Rubber have elucidated the molecular-level bonding state of rubber and silica using spin contrast modulated neutron reflectometry that utilizes neutrons and hydrogen spins. The spin-contrast modulated neutron reflectometry is a method for structural analysis of...