TYRES NEWS * WORLDWIDE

USA - WTO upholds US tariffs on Chinese tyres

Washington,DC,USA -FT, by James Politi -December 13 2010: -- The US notched up a win in a trade dispute with China over tyre imports as senior officials gathered in Washington for a round of high-level economic talks... On Monday, a panel of the World Trade Organisation ruled that the US last year acted consistently with its obligations under global trade rules when it slapped levies of as high as 35 per cent on Chinese tyres used in cars and light trucks... The ruling on tyres, which can still be appealed, marks the second time the US has prevailed over China in a trade dispute in as many months, after a favourable October ruling on penalties the US imposed on Chinese industrial products including steel pipes...

* Japan - 3 major producers to hike truck, bus tire prices 7% in March

Tokyo,Japan -Japan Today -14 December 2010: -- Bridgestone Corp, Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd and Toyo Tire & Rubber Co have said by Monday that they will raise their domestic prices for truck and bus tires by an average of 7% in March...  While the three companies are making the move for the first time since September 2008 to reflect a rise in natural rubber prices caused by growing demand especially from China, another major producer, Yokohama Rubber Co., also said it is studying a price hike...  Natural rubber prices once fell due to the banking crisis from autumn 2008 before jumping three-fold in the past three years...  Toyo Tire, for example, says it has no choice but to pass higher prices on to customers as they have risen to record levels...  The transportation industry reacted with dismay. "Smaller firms, many of which offer long-haul (trucking) services, and companies with larger fleets of trucks in particular are susceptible to the price increase", an official with the Japan Trucking Association said...