ERJ Top 10 Stories of the Week (20-26 Feb)

This week's listing of the most-viewed stories on the European Rubber Journal website:

Analyst: Questions over US tariffs on China

The recent imposition of tariffs on Chinese tire imports is likely to be of only limited benefit to the US tire manufacturing sector, according to a senior research economist at market intelligence provider LMC International. Speaking at the Tire Technology Expo conference in Cologne LMC’s Paul Settles said that the US tariffs might have “some scope to support” US tire production. However, he added, would US producers would still not have full protection from foreign imports. (Read more)

Fenner UK business hit by Ukraine conflict

Fenner Dunlop is making every effort to “reinvent” its conveyor belt-manufacturing business in Hull, north east England, according to the company’s chief executive Nicolas Hobson. Fenner’s Marfleet business, based in Hull, is going through a rough time due to political developments in Russia and the Ukraine, says Hobson. (Read more)

Interview: Hexpol executive discusses firm’s acquisitions, future

Donald Picard, Hexpol’s vice president of sales and marketing for North America, says in a lengthy interview that the company’s acquisition of a number of rubber compounding businesses were of great importance to the firm. “Our interest is to be the long-term leader in our field, to be the most innovative and to always be solution-oriented,” says Picard. (Read more)

Columbian Chemicals (Jining) to break ground on carbon black project

Columbian Chemicals (Jining), a joint venture with China’s Jining Carbon Group, is to break ground on a 240-ktpa carbon black project in late February, according to the company. The €160m project is located in Shangdong province. (Read more)

Goodyear to pay $16m to settle SEC bribery charges

Goodyear has agreed to pay more than $16 million to settle charges from the US Securities and Exchange Commission that its subsidiaries paid bribes to gain tire sales in Kenya and Angola. According to SEC Goodyear had violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by failing “to prevent or detect more than $3.2 million in bribes during a four-year period due.” (Read more)

Lanxess confirms talks to sell stake in rubber unit

Lanxess AG is in talks with potential partners for its synthetic rubber business, the company has confirmed to ERJ. The talks involve has two rubber business units; High Performance Elastomers and Tire & Specialty Rubbers. These are positioned within the group’s Performance Polymer segment, which generated an estimated €4.5 billion in sales in 2013.   (Read more)

Rubber prices rise following oil increments

Rubber prices were reported to be on the rise globally during the last trading week (9-13 February), thanks partly to a recent pick-up in crude oil prices. A lull is expected over the week-long Chinese New Year holidays, starting 18 Feb. However, the market is predicted to pick up after the holiday period. (Read more)

C black recoverer Pyrolyx expands into US

Pyrolyx AG, which specialises in the recovery of carbon black from scrap tires, has announced a strategic partnership with the CH2E Group in Colorado. The US-based CH2E Group owns the largest tire dump in the US with a volume of roughly 600,000 tonnes. (Read more)

Solvay Unveils silica "breakthrough" at TTE

Solvay Silica has developed what it claims is a breakthrough silica filler, which is designed to allow higher productivity and greater flexibility in producing green passenger car and truck tire compounds. According to Solvay, the highly dispersible silica (HDS), branded Efficium, offers “a benchmark for energy-saving and high-performance tires for passenger cars." (Read more)

Auto makers rethink spare tire issue

The spare tire has been squeezed out of many new vehicles, thanks to run-flat tires, inflator kits, efforts to reduce vehicle weight and a lack of storage space — especially in hybrids and electric vehicles. (Read more)