China-based company Jiangsu General Science Technology will trial its US$300 million tyre production plant in December 2019 in Rayong Industrial Zone, Thailand, which is currently the world’s largest rubber producer. The plant is to produce 1 million truck/bus tyres and 6 million passenger car tyres annually and will generate US$ and will generate about US$320 million in revenue.
The Chinese tyre maker is also investing some US$80 million to set up a subsidiary based in Thailand as part of its overseas network and is developing a fully-automated “smart” tyre plant at its site in Wuxi, Jiangsu.
Meanwhile, China recorded 12.3 million unit auto sales in the first half of 2019 as passenger car and commercial vehicle sales dropped; as did tyre production, which shrank 7% year on year according to the Chinese Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).
Similarly, the company’s sales and net profit over the first half of 2019 was down from the same period last year, amid global trade conflicts and China’s nationwide downturn in the automotive sector.