Norwegian silicones firm Elkem ASA has acquired Basel Chemie, a South Korean producer of specialty silicone gels for cosmetics and water repellents for the construction industry, for US$26.9 million. Elkem says the acquisition gives it access to leading technology in…
Singapore’s International Rubber Study Group (IRSG) has announced its 2020 photo competition that is themed: “Rubber is a Community”. The photo submissions should tell a story or emphasise the concept of a communal life that involves rubber at its source,…
Chinese tyre maker Doublestar Group, which launched a scrap tyre pyrolysis plant in Henan Province to tackle pollution from waste tyre recycling, has started the initial operations of said plant.The US$49.3 million factory is able to process 100,000 tonnes of…
Nokian Tyres (Nokian), based in Nokia, Finland, is implementing several efficiency measures in their operational activities following increased costs from ongoing research and developments and employee recruitments. These include job cuts as well as structural changes in the tyre manufacturer’s…
Indian rubber-producing state Tripura is seeking to increase production with a new “rubber clone” suited to the agro-climatic conditions of northeastern India. The engineered variety of rubber, produced by the Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII), will soon be commercially…
Balkrishna Industries (BKT) is suspending works on its US plant project in light of the challenging business environment, which includes volatile weather conditions. The new US$100 million tyre factory would be BKT’s first outside of India and its fifth plant…
UK’s Avon Rubber is to acquire 3M’s ballistic-protection business and the rights to the Ceradyne brand for a sum of US$126 million The deal included an initial cash amount of US$126 million and a further contingent cash consideration of up…
Premium tyre manufacturer Hankook Tire (Hankook) will provide its all-season Kinergy GT tyres to the newly redesigned Ford Explorer for the 2020 year. Hankook’s Kinergy GT tyres feature an optimised lateral groove and “chamfer sipe” arrangement, which provides exceptional grip…
The imposition of the counter-veiling duty (CVD) on tyres from China has led Chinese tyre manufacturers to route their products through Thailand, which subsequently increased imports in the Indian market. According to Rajiv Budhraja, Director General of the Automotive Tyre…
American Goodyear Tire & Rubber (Goodyear) is closely following a plan to restructure its operations to reduce low-value/high-cost capacity in the US and bring about improved business competitiveness, similar to a reorganisation program in Germany that is expected to generate…