Another aggravating factor is the disruptions in supply chain due to Covid-19. Consequently, oil prices are at a seven-year high. Natural gas prices have nearly doubled in six months. Petrol prices in many locations are north of USD 4 a gallon. Cotton prices are up 25 percent since last month. Food prices have been rising steadily for the past few months. Not until the recent news stories about brownouts in China, very few people were aware about the steady ascent of coal prices, past USD 100 per metric tonne in June and then past USD 130 in mid-July to over USD 170 in early October. This is almost four times the price in September 2020!

So far, the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank has maintained that this inflation is transitory, but many experts believe otherwise.

Tyre Segment Not Immune To Inflation

The global tyre market reportedly sold more than 2 billion tyres in 2020, and is projected to grow to more than 2.7 billion tyres sold annually by the year 2026.

One large independently-owned tyre retailer urges buyers not to put off purchasing new tyres, as prices for tyres and vehicle parts have been trending up for the last several months, in part due to rising commodity costs and supply chain interruptions caused by Covid-19. These increases have shown no signs of levelling off.

“We have tracked as many as 20 price increases from 10 major tyre manufacturers,” said Jake Burt, owner of Burt Brothers Tires & Service in State of Utah. And the price hikes aren’t just limited to tyres. “We are also seeing prices climbing for parts, so we’re urging customers needing repairs to get those taken care of now rather than paying more for parts in the future — or having to wait longer than usual to get those parts.”

Burt said that his dealership is working overtime to beef up their inventory ahead of more changes. “We order every day and are doing everything to fill trucks and get them in our warehouse and to our stores so we can shield our customers from future increases.”

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co will increase consumer tyre prices for the fourth time in less than a year. Goodyear raised its tyre prices twice within a short window of time, first in December 2020 and then again in April 2021. The next increase went into effect in September 2021. Goodyear Chairman, CEO and President Rich Kramer told investors during the latest earnings call that consumer tyre prices will increase up to eight percent with this latest pricing action. The action will cover passenger and light truck tyres from both Goodyear and the recently acquired Cooper Tire and Rubber Co.

These price actions are also the result of the rising cost of raw materials like natural rubber and oil, used to make butadiene and carbon black for synthetic rubber. These materials make up more than 30 percent of the cost to manufacture a tyre, and their prices have already surpassed pre-Covid levels and continue to rise steadily. Goodyear predicts its cost of raw materials used for tyres will rise by about USD 175 million in 2021.

On a personal level, my trusty old mountain bicycle, purchased for about USD 50 in mid-1990s, needed a replacement tyre. No tyres were available during the height of the pandemic, but are now becoming available at few outlets, provided you are willing to part with about USD 25 – half the cost of the bicycle!

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Tegeta Green Planet and Shine Energy, both affiliated with Tegeta Holding, have launched a joint educational initiative to raise environmental awareness and a sense of responsibility among young people. The project addresses modern challenges such as environmental protection and sustainable development.

Company representatives are visiting schools across Tbilisi to hold informational meetings, presentations and workshops. The programme begins with presentations, followed by interactive games and activities designed to help students retain the information. At the end of each session, participants receive symbolic gifts and prizes as motivation.

Tegeta Green Planet focuses on teaching students the principles of specific waste management, including how to properly handle used tyres, batteries and oils. The sessions explain why proper waste management is essential for environmental protection and how it connects to the circular economy. Meanwhile, Shine Energy educates young people on the importance of energy, its everyday use and why developing renewable and sustainable energy resources is crucial.

The initiative is not limited to schools. In the near future, both organisations will expand their efforts to universities, aiming to broaden awareness about environmental protection, waste management and energy efficiency. The ultimate goal is to foster environmentally responsible attitudes among the younger generation, helping build a more sustainable and conscious society.

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Zeon has been recognised as a Supplier Engagement Leader in the 2025 Supplier Engagement Assessment (SEA) conducted by CDP, a United Kingdom-based international environmental nonprofit organisation. This achievement represents the first time the company has received the highest possible rating in this assessment.

The evaluation measures how corporations address climate change within their supply chains, focusing on responses to the CDP Climate Change Questionnaire across five critical areas. These include governance, emissions targets, Scope 3 emissions management, risk management and overall supplier engagement strategies.

Zeon earned the top rating for its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through supplier collaboration, a group-wide initiative, alongside continuous dialogue maintained via procurement activities. Guided by its philosophy of contributing to planetary preservation and human prosperity, Zeon remains committed to sustainable management. The company reaffirmed that it will continue working with suppliers and other stakeholders to tackle climate change and meet societal expectations.

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German chemical group WACKER has announced a price increase of up to 15 percent for its resins, dispersions and dispersible polymer powders produced at its European and US facilities. The adjustment takes effect on 1 June 2026, or as existing customer contracts permit. The move is designed to allow the company’s Polymers division to maintain high product quality, deliver technological innovations and provide superior customer service and technical support. It will also support investments aimed at securing future growth in key markets.

Rising costs for raw materials and logistics have forced the pricing measure, with the Polymers division being particularly affected. The recent conflict in the Middle East has caused significant disruptions across global commodity markets. As a direct result, prices for energy, raw materials and transportation have climbed sharply.

Despite the increase, WACKER remains focused on sustaining its commitment to customer support and long-term capability. The company underscored that the adjustment is necessary to continue meeting market demands while ensuring operational stability and future-oriented development across its focus markets.

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Pirelli North America has launched its first closed-loop circular recycling initiative, marking a significant step in the company’s broader strategy to increase recycled and bio‑based content in its tyre production. The project has received the Tire Recycling Foundation’s Value Chain Collaboration Award.

The programme recovers scrap tyres generated during Pirelli’s own North American manufacturing process. These materials are sent to Bolder Industries, which applies ISCC PLUS‑certified pyrolysis technology to produce BolderBlack recovered carbon black. Pirelli then reintroduces this material into new tyre production at its North American facilities, partially replacing virgin carbon black. The effort is part of a wider Pirelli plan to expand such industrial ecosystems across the group’s production network, aiming to valorise waste by reintegrating recovered materials into tyre manufacturing.

Beyond the award, the initiative reflects Pirelli’s broader circularity approach, which includes ongoing work to boost recycled and bio‑based material usage. The company targets over 80 percent bio‑based and recycled content in its best‑performing products and forty percent in total production by 2030.

Claudio Zanardo, CEO, Pirelli North America, said, "The Rome plant is one of the most technologically advanced manufacturing facilities in Pirelli. This initiative reflects an approach focused on increasing the use of recovered materials within existing production processes. It is part of a broader effort to gradually integrate raw materials derived from recycled resources into our products while maintaining consistency in performance and quality."

Tony Wibbeler, CEO, Bolder Industries, said, "Our collaboration demonstrates that a traceable, mass-balance approach to tyre-to-tyre circularity is not only achievable, but it's ready to scale inside a premium manufacturing environment, meeting real performance and certification requirements at every step. This is the kind of progress the industry has been working toward for many years."

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