The tyre is an amazing example of something that has served its purpose for more than a century with no drastic functional changes but has yet undergone constant improvement and sometimes fundamental structural changes. Materials have changed from leather to natural rubber, and then to ever-developing compounds of natural and synthetic rubber, as well as chemicals. Structurally, the largest change has been from bias to radial casing construction, and while some tyre products are now largely only radial tyres – passenger car tyres, for example – other vehicle segments still consume a large quantity of bias tyres; in some regions of the world more than others.

While the equipment required to produce bias tyres is fairly simple, and the costs of establishing a production line therefore relatively manageable – roughly speaking it’s a textile production line combined with vulcanizing in simple 2-part moulds – the costs of establishing a radial tyre production line are massive. From rubber calenders to radial steel belt production and angle cutting over bead ring building and green tyre building drums, until finally curing in 8-segment moulds – and many more steps and essential equipment not mentioned in between. Each machine and process is as important as the next, and only the most skilled management of the entyre production flow can ensure that a quality product comes out at the end. So, needless to say, many of the quality improvements of the past decades have come from improving production equipment and knowledge as much as from improving tread designs and rubber compounds.

Chinese factories

Further, as many tyre production equipment manufacturers have expanded to supply all over the world, many production lines have become much more similar to each other as they approach the worldwide optimal standard for balancing production costs and quality. I won’t mention any specific manufacturer names here, but anyone who has visited a tyre factory in China will have had an employee guide proudly point out that they use only the best equipment from manufacturers in the Netherlands, Japan, Germany, and the USA. I’ve always been tempted to ask if the hammer is more important or the person who wields it, but I digress. The fact is that most Chinese factories have also improved drastically in terms of management and comply with IATF 16949 standards to ensure consistently high-quality levels and constantly reduce defects. The main driver and reason for the current standards is the reduction of manual work stations and a large manual labour workforce to largely automatic or at least semi-automatic machinery, reducing the manual labourers to employees simply moving materials or finished products from one place to another. Over time, these will also be made redundant, as machines will also handle this part.

The question remaining is just how factories located in low-wage countries will keep competitive as the necessary equipment costs the same all over the globe, and less hands are needed to operate the massive production lines. When the lines all over the world only need core staff to monitor and make technical adjustments and maintenance work, the difference in the product cost structure can only come from land and building use, logistics and handling costs, as well as water, heating, and electricity fees. Especially the latter, utility fees, probably soon make up the most important factory when it comes to differentiating tyre cost structures across the world.

Global supply

What will this mean for the global tyre supply? Most likely, it will be good news for the environment, as it won’t make as much sense as previously to send products across the globe, because the transportation costs will make the products more expensive than locally produced ones – regardless of production country. Given that all countries play fair, that is, so maybe I should say in a perfect world. There is no doubt that some countries favour their large factories with subsidies or tax rebates more than the developed countries do. But, with the recent massive rise in sea freight charges caused by the pandemic, and amplified by the Ever Given blocking the Suez Canal, the tables could be turned faster than anyone expected. Just until a month ago we all expected the extremely high sea freight levels from Asia to the rest of the world to last just a few months, now the carriers expect that we won’t see normalization – and thereby decreasing rates – again until 2024. As tyre prices from low-cost manufacturing countries have been gradually closing the gap to second tier brands over the past decade (and quality levels have followed suit and in rare cases even surpassed them), they have now very suddenly lost all competitiveness when solely looking at pricing. Surely, it has been the strategy of all these manufacturers for many years to ultimately surpass the competition on quality and performance, but not before surpassing them on price.

So, what will happen now? Nobody knows, but it will be equally interesting and nerve-wracking to follow. For the tyre building machine manufacturers, the dilemma has grown bigger than ever before; should they continue to develop better machines, as they risk killing their clients by doing do? There’s a very narrow path to tread between staying competitive against other machine manufacturers and sustaining the financial health of one’s own clients. (TT)

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Toyo Tire Corporation said Mitsubishi Corporation has ceased to be a major shareholder after tendering its entire holding through a treasury share buyback, ending its status as the company’s largest shareholder.

The change took effect on 10^th August , 2026, following Toyo Tire’s acquisition of its own shares through off-auction trading (ToSTNeT-3). Mitsubishi tendered all its shares, excluding less than one unit, as part of the transaction.

As a result, Mitsubishi is no longer classified as a major shareholder or associated company of Toyo Tire, the company said.

Before the transaction, Mitsubishi held 30,822,206 shares, equivalent to 20.07 percent of total voting rights, and ranked as the largest shareholder. Following the change, its holding has effectively been reduced to zero.

The move follows Toyo Tire’s earlier announcement on August 7, 2026 regarding the termination of its capital and business alliance with Mitsubishi, alongside plans to repurchase its own shares.

Toyo Tire said the change would have no impact on its consolidated financial results.

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Linglong Tire has become the first Chinese tyre manufacturer to join the Global Data Service Organization (GDSO) as a full member, marking a step in the industry’s efforts to standardise and exchange tyre-related data globally.

The company joins the non-profit body as its fourteenth member. GDSO was established in January 2022 by Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, Michelin and Pirelli to facilitate the digital exchange of tyre data and develop common standards across the sector.

Moh Wahi, Head Of Truck And Bus Tyre Development at Linglong Europe, said: "By joining the GDSO as a Full Member and providing reliable data, we want to be the first Chinese tyre manufacturer to make a positive contribution to the further development of the tire industry and set new standards for the efficient processing of tire data in the digital age."

Riccardo Giovannotti, Secretary General of GDSO, said: "With Linglong Tire as a Full Member, GDSO is gaining one of the leading Chinese tire companies which is committed to digitalization and sustainability in the industry. Together, we will further make progress in developing standards for data processing and future-oriented solutions."

Shandong Linglong Tire Co., Ltd., founded in 1975, operates seven research and development centres globally and employs almost 20,000 people. The company runs nearly 200,000 sales outlets and exports products to 175 countries.

It supplies tyres to more than 200 production bases for over 60 automakers and has manufacturing facilities across China, Thailand and Serbia, with plans to expand further overseas.

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TyreSafe, UK’s charity dedicated to raising tyre safety awareness, has joined forces with Sussex Police’s Road Safety Team to introduce a pioneering digital reference tool for frontline officers. The initiative equips police with immediate, device-accessible tyre safety data during roadside stops.

Developed as a local pilot, the application enables consistent vehicle examinations and improves driver communication regarding tyre dangers. It offers specific checklists for diverse vehicle categories, including motorcycles, cars, heavy goods vehicles, light commercial vans and towed trailers. The system further incorporates guidance on part-worn tyres, common queries and educational talking points.

Following its Sussex trial, the programme holds potential for nationwide adoption across UK police forces. This deployment underscores Sussex Police’s dedication to roadway innovation and reinforces the essential contribution of proper tyre maintenance to overall public safety.

Stuart Lovatt, TyreSafe Chair, said, “This partnership with Sussex Police is a landmark moment for tyre safety enforcement and education. By putting reliable, accessible tyre safety guidance directly into the hands of frontline officers, we can ensure safer vehicles on our roads and help prevent avoidable collisions and breakdowns. Sussex is leading the way, and we hope this model will soon be adopted nationally.”

Superintendent Jo Grantham, Head of Roads Policing, Sussex Police, said, “Our officers are committed to keeping road users safe, and having instant access to this tyre safety resource makes a real difference on the ground. It supports enforcement while also giving us the tools to educate drivers more effectively. We’re proud to be working with TyreSafe on this project and to be the first police force in the country to pilot it.”

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The UK Towing Safety Alliance (UKTSA) has published a comprehensive four-year analysis of incident data from National Highways’ Strategic Road Network, covering 2022 to 2025. The findings reveal a 23 percent rise in total towing-related incidents, driven primarily by a maintenance crisis affecting utility and commercial trailers. While traffic collisions involving towed vehicles decreased by 17 percent, mechanical breakdowns now constitute 77 percent of all towing-related incidents, highlighting vehicle and trailer condition as the sector's foremost challenge.

The data coincides with SMMT Motorparc 2025 figures showing Britain's vehicle fleet at its oldest recorded level, with average car age reaching 9.7 years. The summer harvest season has also arrived, bringing agricultural trailers back to roads after months of disuse. NFU Mutual research indicates collisions involving agricultural vehicles are 56 percent more likely between May and September, reinforcing the need for pre-journey roadworthiness checks.

Utility and agricultural trailers now account for nearly half of all towing-related callouts, surpassing 3,000 incidents in 2025. Regionally, the North West has overtaken the South East as the most incident-prone area, with trailer failures surging 60 percent since 2022, while the North East recorded a 55 percent increase. A growing divide exists between leisure and commercial towing sectors.

Leisure sector improvements, including fewer horsebox incidents and regional caravan reductions, suggest awareness campaigns are yielding positive results. However, utility trailer failures continue climbing, indicating maintenance standards across commercial and domestic sectors require greater attention. Regular servicing, correct loading and proper coupling remain essential to prevent avoidable incidents.

For working trailers, summer represents peak operational period, with agricultural and utility trailers seeing intensive use while rural roads become busier with tourists and cyclists. The Alliance emphasises that trailers stored for extended periods require thorough inspections before returning to service.

The UKTSA urges all towers to perform three essential checks covering tyres, load and connection before every journey. Tyres must be inspected for pressure, tread and deterioration; loads correctly distributed and couplings and electrical connections verified. The Alliance will place ‘The Working Trailer’ at the centre of safety campaigns, collaborating with industry partners to boost maintenance awareness and reduce preventable breakdowns across the Strategic Road Network.

A spokesperson for the UK Towing Safety Alliance said, “It’s encouraging to see fewer collisions involving towing vehicles, which suggests that drivers are becoming more aware of safe towing practices. However, that progress is being undermined by a growing number of preventable mechanical failures. The challenge is no longer simply about how people tow – it’s increasingly about what they’re towing and the condition it’s in. As both tow vehicles and trailers get older, regular maintenance has never been more important.”

Stuart Lovatt, Chair of TyreSafe, said, “Harvest season places extra demands on both vehicles and trailers, particularly those that may only be used for a few months each year. One of the most common issues we see is tyres that appear to have plenty of tread but have deteriorated through age, weathering or prolonged storage. Whether you’re towing a livestock trailer, plant trailer, horsebox or caravan, tyres should always be inspected for correct pressure, damage, cracking and signs of ageing before every journey. A few minutes spent carrying out these checks can prevent breakdowns and significantly improve safety for everyone using our roads.”

Sarah Smithurst MBE, COO, National Trailer & Towing Association (NTTA), said, “Across the NTTA network, we’re seeing a noticeable increase in enquiries from people looking to refurbish older trailers or source second-hand trailers, including imported models, as a more affordable alternative to buying new. While extending the life of a trailer is often entirely appropriate, it’s essential that owners understand that trailers are not maintenance-free. Many have been in service for years, sometimes decades, and components naturally deteriorate over time, even if the trailer has seen relatively little use. Every trailer should be thoroughly inspected before it returns to the road, with particular attention paid to tyres, brakes, bearings, couplings and lighting. Investing in regular servicing and maintenance is far less costly than experiencing a breakdown – or worse, being involved in an incident. The NTTA continues to help and advice new and old trailer users about safety and many are asking for help when towing, especially the reversing aspect of a trailer, now the B&E test was withdrawn. We are also seeing more trailers being repatriated from North America and Europe rather than purchasing new in the UK.”

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