China to build tire plant in Bangladesh

Dhaka – Beijing Research & Design Institute of Rubber Industry (BRDIRI) and Bangladeshi industrial conglomerates Jamnua group have started construction work on the country's “first tire plant", the Jamuna tire factory, ChemChina Academy of Sciences announced on 26 March.

The project is expected to be completed and put into production in May 2018, with the designed annual production capacity of 350,000 all-steel heavy truck radial tires, 500,000 semi-steel passenger car radial tires, 400,000 diagonal tires and 750,000 sets of inner tires and rim bands.

BRDIRI is owned by ChemChina Academy of Science and provides tire and non-tire services in R&D, sales, machinery and testing.

“It is a very important milestone and also a very important investment for Jamuna Group to diversify its industrial structure and layout,” said Jamuna general manager Shamim Islam at the kick-off ceremony.

“ChemChina has actively participated in domestic construction, in particular chemical projects in Bangladesh,” said general manager Chen Hong of ChemChina Academy of Sciences, also speaking at the kick-off ceremony.

The plant will be spread over 200-acre Jamuna Industrial Park in east Bangladesh.

Indian tire-maker CEAT announced in 2013 that it was building a €50-million production plant in Bangladesh to manufacture light and medium truck tires as well as two-wheeler tires in the country. The company has not issued any recent updates on the latest status of the project.