Scorching heat in China’s southwestern province of Yunnan has forced the nation’s biggest natural rubber (NR) producer to cease tapping in the area. Select companies have already stopped tapping after instruction by Yunnan’s Natural Rubber Industry Group, with more to…
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Guangxi Linglong releases first radial tyre after US$570m investment
Guangxi Linglong Tire, Shandong Linglong’s fully-owned subsidiary, marked the release of its first radial earthmover tyre in May 2019. The production kicks off Linglong’s US$578 million investment into steel, all-steel and engineered tyres, later including some 20 million high-performance semi-steel…
Sumitomo to further optimise autonomous drive
Japan’s Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) has forged a collaborative agreement with research company Tripod Works and computer equipment manufacturers Sysgration for their developing Direct TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System) solutions. SRI plans to introduce its tyre pressure control solutions via…
Trelleborg Lanka invests in environmentally-friendly tyre manufacturing
Trelleborg Wheel Systems (TWS) seeks to improve production efficiency with the addition of an advanced biomass boiler to its Sri Lankan plant’s steam production process. The biomass-fired boiler will reduce harmful CO2 emissions by a whopping 90%, simultaneously enabling “greener”…
Michelin buying telematics provider Masternaut
French tyre maker Michelin has acquired Masternaut, a European telematics company, in a deal that will ease fleet services, product development and growth across the region. Masternaut is Michelin’s third major acquisition in the fleet telematics industry after North/South America’s…
Thailand to cut rubber exports this week
Thailand has agreed for export cutbacks of about 240k-tonnes of rubber, together with regional producers Indonesia and Malaysia, to support declining rubber prices. However, the global rubber exporter delayed the measure because of its general election in March, and will…
Apollo launches its first tyre centre in Malaysia
In response to growing demand for commercial tyres in the Asian region, Indian tyre manufacturer Apollo Tyres has recently opened its Apollo Truck Tyre Zone (ATTZ) in Johor Baru, Malaysia. The centre serves to provide customers with easy access to…
Myanmar to have increased rubber production, exports
Myanmar’s burgeoning rubber production will see an export of around 300,000 tonnes of rubber this year, more than its government’s estimate of 260,000 tonnes, according to the Secretary of Myanmar’s Rubber Planters and Producers Association (MRPPA), U Khaing Myint. Myint…
US-China trade war could help Malaysian rubber industry
The recent US-China tariff debate had led CIMB Equities Research experts to believe the US glove demand will shift from China to Malaysia. The US government has recently hiked the tariff rate to 25% on US$200 billion worth of annual…
Resilient NR industry fights ruin
Despite numerous hits that downplayed the natural rubber (NR) market over 2018/2019, its total downfall was prevented and ING Research analysis highlights rallying causes that supported the market. An early wintering season in Southeast Asia and strategic seasonal storms has…