Bridgestone - Amtel mystery deepens

A spokesman for Bridgestone Europe has absolutely denied press reports that it has struck "a preliminary deal to make tyres in Amtel's Kirov tyre factory". The initial report was written by Reuters and appeared in Forbes magazine, quoting an unnamed Bridgestone official in Moscow.

Now, Gateway2Russia has published a story quoting an Amtel spokesman, giving details of an offtake deal Amtel believes it has struck with Bridgestone.

Amtel officials have confirmed to ERJ that an existing contract to make tyres for Bridgestone has been switched from the Rosava plant in the Ukraine to the Kirov tyre factory in Russia, and at the same time extended to about 250 000 units a year, from around 70 000. No-one from Bridgestone Japan was available to explain the confusion.

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Reuters story in Forbes Magazine. THIS HAS BEEN CATEGORICALLY DENIED BY BRIDGESTONE.

Gateway2Russia story.

Moscow Times story.