The continued downturn in the commercial vehicle market began to bottom out this year and entered a state of micro growth. According to data from the Automobile Industry Association, from January to September this year, the production and sales of commercial vehicles were 3.011 million and 3.033 million, respectively, an increase of 8.93% and 7.46%. Bopp Film,Pearlized Bopp Film,White Bopp Film,Bopp Thermal Lamination Film HUARUIDA PACKING MATERIAL CORP., LTD. , https://www.buybopp.com
This has once again activated competition in the field of commercial vehicle tires, especially the multinational tire giants who have long held the Chinese tire market.
In August of this year, Bridgestone introduced two commercial vehicle tires with wear resistance. Goodyear, which has only officially entered China's commercial vehicle tires since last year, has also accelerated its product line. After launching seven commercial vehicle tires in March, it will push the S800 series on October 16 to enter the bus market.
With the rapid development of China's economy and the deepening of urbanization, China is becoming the world's largest commercial vehicle tire market. Especially when the European auto market continued to slump, the Asia-Pacific market led by China has become the most strategic strategic hinterland for multinational tire companies.
"China is our most important focus. The second strategy of Goodyear's three global strategies is 'win in China'," said David L Beasley, vice president of the Goodyear Asia Pacific Card and Bus Division. Our production cuts in Luxembourg are more due to the overall economic downturn in Europe, which is not the behavior of individual manufacturers."
As early as the end of 2012, Bridgestone will begin to lay off employees in Europe, and in March this year announced that it will close a factory in Italy in the first half of 2014. Currently, Michelin's passenger car tire plant in Europe uses 75% of its capacity, while the factory that produces truck tires uses only 60% of its capacity.
The Asia Pacific market has given tire giants a new opportunity. In an exclusive interview with the Economic Observer, Bethley said that in 2013, the sales volume of radial tires in the Chinese market will reach more than 5 million, making it the world's largest tire market, more than double the US market.
He also predicted that in the middle of 2014, the growth rate of China's tire replacement market (aftermarket) will reach 8%, and the supporting market is expected to achieve an annual growth rate of 11%. "In the long run, the overall compound growth rate will reach 8%. More than %, this is quite amazing."
In fact, as far as the commercial vehicle market is concerned, China is now the world's largest market for card and passenger tires. According to data from the China Rubber Industry Association, sales of Chinese and passenger car tires will increase by about 25% per year, while total sales of Chinese tires will increase by 15% per year.
In 2012, Goodyear, which has been in China for 18 years, started the local production of commercial vehicle tires. Its investment of 700 million US dollars in the Pulandian factory built in Dalian, began to start some of the capacity to give commercial vehicle tires, the four series of commercial vehicle tires that have been listed at present, are all launched for the Chinese market.
As one of Goodyear's three global strategies, “Win ​​in Chinaâ€, specific measures include product innovation, technical support and customer service care.
Bethley revealed that the annual production capacity of Goodyear's passenger car tires has reached 1 million per year. At the sales level, the growth rate in 2013 was 300% compared with 2012. It is planned to achieve 200% year-on-year growth in 2014 and 100% growth in 2015.
In addition, other tire companies are also increasing their investment in the Chinese market. Pirelli plans to invest US$200 million in the Chinese plant by the end of 2014 to build its largest manufacturing center in the world in Zhangzhou, Shandong.
However, the current commercial vehicle tire market is still immature and mixed. This is both a pressure and a challenge for tire companies and an opportunity to win.
Huang Wei, president of Goodyear China, said that many consumers in the domestic commercial vehicle tire market still value the price, regardless of the cost per kilometer. "How to cultivate the market is the biggest challenge we have encountered."