ERJ Business News Tracker

EU investigating BMW, Daimler, VW... Conti fitted on upgraded Honda Acura... Falken on Subaru SUV... GRI launching new tires...  Asia BD prices... Renault awards Hankook... ZC Rubber is 60... China BD prices... Hankook bidding for F1?... SBR shut-downs in China...  

SEPTEMBER

18/9 The EU has opened an in-depth investigation to assess whether BMW, Daimler and VW (Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche) colluded, in breach of EU antitrust rules, to avoid competition on the development and roll-out of technology to clean the emissions of petrol and diesel passenger cars.

2/9 Honda has refreshed its mid-engine Acura NSX sports car for the 2019 model year with an upgraded suspension package that includes an exclusive OE fitment for an NSX-specific version of the Continental SportContact 6 tire line.

AUGUST

31/8 Subaru Corp. has selected the Falken ZIEX ZE001 all-season tire as an original equipment fitment on its redesigned 2019 Forester SUV. The ZIEX ZE001 tire, size P225/55R18 - 98H, will be manufactured at Sumitomo Rubber Industries' plant in Rayong, Thailand, and shipped to Subaru's factory in Japan where the Forester is built.

24/8 Speciality tire manufacturer Global Rubber Industries Pvt. Ltd. (GRI) plans to launch its latest agricultural tires, the Green XLR 70 and 85, as well as its range of flotation, tractor and implement tires, during the Farm Progress Show, to be held 28-30 Aug in Boone, Iowa.

2/8 Spot prices for Asia butadiene are expected to rise in the near term, with scheduled turnarounds between September and November in South Korea and China, , according to ICIS. However, the long-term outlook remains weak, in-line with prevailing conditions in the styrene-butadiene and polybutadiene rubber markets.

JULY 2018

23/7  French auto maker Groupe Renault has awarded Hankook Tire as an outstanding company in the purchasing sustainability sector, at Renault's Supplier Awards ceremony. Renault awarded 12 awards in five sectors: best service, design, innovation, purchasing sustainability and quality.

23/7  China's ZC Rubber celebrated its 60th anniversary on July 17 at its headquarters in Hangzhou in front of more than 1,000 global partners from across the world.

JUNE 2018

29/6 Domestic spot butadiene prices have been declining since the end of May due to reduced demand following shutdowns at a number of SR plants, according to ICIS. Spot prices 20 June were nearly 15% lower from 24 May, the ICIS report added.

21/6 South Korea’s Hankook is a potential bidder to become the sole Formula 1 tire supplier, according to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport. The German magazine said Hankook had already held several meetings with the former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone back in 2013, but those meetings “came to nothing”. The report suggests that Hankook is now once again in the frame as Pirelli’s contract runs out in 2019.

15/6 China's Shen Hua Chemical Industrial is planning to carry out maintenance work on a 70 ktpa butadiene-rubber plant at Nantong mid-June, a source has told Platts. The company, said a 5 June report by Platts, is also shutting down another 180 ktpa styrene-butadiene-rubber plant from early July for 3-4 weeks of maintenance.

12/6 Cefic EU chemicals industry data Q1/18 vs Q1/17: Output?1.9%, Producer prices?2.5%, Total sales?4.6%, Domestic sales ?4.1%, Exports?5.8%, Imports?8.3%, Consumption?5.0%, Capacity utilisation? 0.6%

11/6 The Rubber Research Institute of India has warned against the country’s rubber industry being ‘over-dependent’ on imported, cheap natural rubber, saying it may be “highly unsustainable”. According to the Hindu Business Line, an RRII research shows the rubber industry in India could be losing its momentum and that “its contributions to the economy are on the decline in recent years.”

5/6 Pirelli has announced that it would stay in Formula 1 if technological innovation and challenges continue in the sport, according to Planet F1. The sole tire supplier of F1 until 2019 has said that it would sign a contract renewal only if the deal is “commercially viable” to its business model and offers technological challenges.

Spot SBR prices in Asia may remain "on an uptrend" in the near term due to limited spot availability, an ICIS report said 1 June. The limited supply is amid “improved demand, and surging costs of feedstock butadiene,” the report noted.

MAY 2018

25/5  German rubber industry workers are reportedly to receive a 6.6% pay rise, according to a recent report by ChemWeek news website. The pay rise, said the report 24 May, will take place in three stages.

10/5 In the US, Chinese tire maker Wanli has shelved plans for a $1 billion tire plant in Orangeburg County, according to a report in the Times & Democratic, a local newspaper. ERJ is trying to confirm the accuracy of the report.

08/5 Closing share prices of selected rubber processing companies on 4 May (c/f 1 March closing price): Avon Rubber plc (LSE) 1,370.00p (1,195.00p) / Daetwyler Holding AG (SWX) CHF186.80.60 (CHF195.80) / Fenner plc (LSE) 608.00 (461.00p) / Hexpol (STO) SEK92.25 (SEK75.15) / Trelleborg AB (STO) SEIK207.40 (SEK208.60).

A number of Indian tire makers, including MRF, JK Tyre and CEAT are reportedly hiking prices up to 3% in the face of rising materials costs. India Info Line reported 7 May that the move was in response to increasing prices of crude-based materials, despite a cool-down in NR prices.

APRIL 

26/4 The BMW Group is to invest more than €10m in a new Additive Manufacturing Campus, in Oberschleissheim, north of Munich, where it is headquartered. The group said the new facility would allow the company to continue developing its expertise in this field.

Average CO2 emissions from new cars went up by 0.4% to 118.5g/km in 2017 as sales of petrol vehicles overtook diesel for the first year since 2009, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). In 17 EU member states emissions were higher than in 2016, including major markets such as the UK (+0.8%), France (+0.6%), Spain (+0.5%) and Germany (+0.1%). In Poland (+1.43%) and the Netherlands (+2.27%) the increase was even stronger. This, said ACEA, is the first annual rise in CO2 emissions since records began in 2010.

23/4 China is imposing temporary anti-dumping duties on halogenated butyl rubber (HBR) imported from the US, EU and Singapore, according to a Reuters report 19 April. Citing the Chinese commerce ministry (MOFCOM), the report said the measures would take effect 20 April.

17/4 Jaguar Land Rover is expected to cut 1,000 jobs at two of its production sites ahead of Brexit, according to a Reuters report 13 April. JLR has issued a statement saying it is making “some adjustments” to its production schedules and the level of agency staff in light of “continuing headwinds” in the car industry. The company said it remains committed to its UK plants.

Western European car sales dropped 6% to 1.70 million vehicles in March, reflecting lower demand in the UK, Germany and Italy, according to a Reuters report, citing data from LMC Automotive. Registrations fell 16% in the UK, 5.8% in Italy and 3.4% in Germany, but rose by over 2% in France and Spain.

16/4 Herbert Diess will take over from Matthias Mueller as CEO of the Volkswagen Group, adding fresh impetus to the company's efforts to slim down and reorganise the way its 12 brands are managed. The carmaker said it will create six new business areas and a special portfolio for China, its largest market, and split its brands into three new vehicle groups with categories for value, premium and super-premium nameplates.

Conti has marked the manufacture of 10m tires at its production plant in Kaluga, Russia. The factory started production in 2013, and makes passenger and light truck tires under three brands: Continental, Gislaved and Matador.

13/4 ChemWeek reported on 12 April that South Africa synthetic rubber producer Karbochem had halted production and commercial activities. ERJ is currently contacting Karbochem regarding this report.  Based in Johannesburg, the company is South Africa’s only synthetic rubber maker with manufacturing operations in Sasolburg, in the Free State, and Newcastle, in KwaZulu-Natal.

10/4 Synthetic rubber prices in Asia may decline further due to falling butadiene prices and cheaper natural rubber, according to ICIS. The market watcher also suggested that fears of a looming trade war between China and the US were impacting SR prices in Asia.

3/4 Bridgestone will supply its Turanza EL450 tire with run-flat technology (RFT) as original equipment on the new Lexus UX crossover vehicle. The Lexus UX was unveiled during the 88th International Geneva Motor Show in March 2018.

MARCH 2018

28/3 Malaysia’s rubber export to China rose 80% to €1.37m or 875,000 tonnes in 2017, according to the country’s plantation industries and commodities minister Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong.

Michelin’s tire plant in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, has been sold to developers to be converted into a business park, according to the press. Belfast Telegraph reported 27 March that the site will also go into consideration for becoming a partner logistic hub for Heathrow Airport. Michelin is shutting down the plant due to rising cost of energy and transport.

27/3 Conti is studying a plan under which it would be renting out its tires for corporate fleet and charge for mileage used. According to German magazine Automobilwoche, the plan involves both the vehicle and tire being be equipped with sensors to evaluate the condition of the tires.

22/3  Closing share prices of selected tire and rubber/materials companies on 21 March (cf 28 Nov 2017 closing price): Avon Rubber plc (LSE) 1,245.00p (1,149.54p) / Bridgestone Corp. (Tokyo) Yen 4.543 (Yen5,095) / Cabot Corp. (NSYE) $58.94 ($60.63) / Cooper Tire & Rubber (NYSE) $30.35 ($35.85) / Daetwyler Holding AG (SWX) CHF191.60 (CHF178.90) / Fenner plc (LSE) 613.50 (405.87p) / Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (Nasdaq) $28.18 ($31.81) / Hexpol AB (STO) SEK75.85 (SEK79.70) / Michelin (Paris) €126.35 (€121.35) / Nokian Tyres plc (HEL) SEK36.41 (SEK36.40) / Pirelli (MIL) €7.26 (€7.08) / Sumitomo Rubber Industries (Tokyo) Yen1,947 (Yen1,990) / Trelleborg AB (STO) SEIK209.50 (SEK202.40).

BMW’s R&D spend will reach a record €7bn overall this year as is sees to introduce 25 EV models to the market by 2025. The company spent €6.1bn on R&D last yearDespite the rising R&D bill, BMW expects group pre-tax earnings of over €10bn in 2018, similar to last year's level. The car maker, however, warned of a possible impact from US trade barriers as well as from Brexit.

11/3  Global automakers and vehicle suppliers are pressing the Trump administration and US Congress to exempt the EU and other allies from new steel and aluminum tariffs set to take effect later this month, according to a Reuters report. US car makers, in particular, have much at stake as Trump makes decisions on this and related issues, it noted.

Ford, Seat, Audi and BMW were among the few automakers that saw sales growth in a UK market which fell 2.8% in February, the 11th successive monthly decline. Registrations dropped to 80,805 as weak consumer confidence and uncertainty over the future of diesel hit sales, industry association SMMT said.

8/3 Continental AG and Chinese automotive supplier and battery manufacturer CITC will establish a jJV, headquartered in Changzhou, to develop and produce 48-volt battery systems for the car industry. Continental did not give details on the investment size but said the JV will be operational by mid-2018.

7/3  Bridgestone’s Turanza T005 Audi has been selected as the premium touring tire of choice for the new Audi A7 Sportback. The ‘Audi Original’ marked tire uses a high-silica compound which incorporates Bridgestone’s NanoPro-Tech polymer, the Japanese tire-maker announced.

Sarnia council, in Southwestern Ontario, has approved plans for the construction of a bio-based feedstock facility at the former site of rubber manufacturer Arlanxeo Canada. According to local news website, Blackburn News, Sacramento-, California-based Origin Materials will construct a plant that will convert wood fibres into chemicals that can be used to produce plastics and other products.

1/3  Indian tire makers have warned about a “shortage” in the supply of carbon black, saying if not addressed, it could lead to “unplanned cuts in tire production”. India Today reported 27 Feb that the carbon black trade body CBMA has disputed the claims, saying there is a “surplus” of the materials in the market. Tire makers have urged suppliers to reveal their stock.

Socfin Cambodia, the local branch of Swiss-based Socfin Group, has completed 95% of its first rubber factory in Cambodia, general manager Jef Boedt told the Phnom Penh Post 26 Feb. The company has invested over €4.6m in the factory, which can process 16ktpa of dry rubber per year.

FEBRUARY 2018

27/2 DowDuPont has announced brand names for its three independent companies that it is planning to create this year. The agriculture division will be name Corteva Agriscience, materials science division will be called Dow, and will retain the Dow diamond as its brand, while speciality products division will be the new DuPont.

23/2 In its latest energy outlook, released 20 Feb, BP has increased its forecast for electric vehicles by 80% to 180 million by 2035. The company says it believes that in 2040, one third of miles driven will be powered by electricity.

22/2 Continental AG is planning its seventh manufacturing plant in Hungary to produce automotive electronics. The company announced 22 Feb that the €100m plant will be built in Debrecen, Hungary, and a groundbreaking ceremony is set for the third quarter of 2018.

17/2 Europe's car market registered a 6.8% sales rise in January, building on the 10-year high reached in 2017 as the region's economy expanded. Registrations for the month advanced to 1.29m vehicles in the EU and EFTA markets, industry association ACEA reported 15 Feb.

12/2 Malaysia’s export of natural rubber and rubber-based products rose 30.2% to €6.65bn in 2017, the daily Star Online has reported.

1/2 Tire makers are resisting higher SBR prices in Asia due to cheaper alternative raw material natural rubber, according to an ICIS report on 31 Jan.

JANUARY 2018

30/1 Thai agriculture minister Grisada Boonrach said his country, Malaysia and Indonesia are fully committed to their joint plan for raising natural rubber by cutting exports, the Bangkok Post has reported. The trio aim to reduce market availability by 350kt over the first three months of this year.

India has imposed anti-dumping duties on toluene diisocyanate (TDI) from China, Japan and Korea. The duty will run from 23 Jan to 2023. The duty was imposed after sole producer of TDI in India, Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers and Chemicals (GNFC) approached DGAD.

25/1 Ford Motor Co. said European earnings fell 66% in Q4 as higher warranty and commodities costs and the effects of Brexit took a toll. Quarterly pretax profit in the region fell to $56m and for the year tumbled 81% to $234m from record levels in 2016. The European results were a drag on the US parent company, which saw quarterly adjusted pretax profits drop 19% to $1.7 billion. The automaker cited higher steel and aluminium prices, as well as adverse currency rates.

BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen Group hope a network of high-power charging stations they are rolling out with Ford Motor will set an industry standard for plugs and protocols and will give them an edge over electric-car rivals, Reuters has reported

3D printing and manufacturing specialist Carbon has added Eric Liedtke, executive board member for global brands at Adidas, to its board. The two companies set up a strategic partnership in April 2017. Adidas’ Futurecraft 4D performance footwear are manufactured using Carbon’s proprietary digital light synthesis technology, and the shoes made their retail debut in January 2018.

24/1 Jaguar Land Rover is reducing production at its factory in Halewood, UK, temporarily, in response to weakening demand due to Brexit and increase in tax on diesel cars, according to Reuters.

23/1 BASF is planning to build a €400m production plant in Europe to make cathodes for electric-vehicle batteries, according to Bloomberg.

Carlos Tavares, PSA Group CEO, is to meet with the UK unions and government officials this week over the future of its Vauxhall plant in Ellesmere Port, according to Reuters. PSA has started cutting jobs at the plant, where it says costs are twice those of its plants in France.

22/1  Audi has been ordered to recall 127,000 vehicles after Germany's KBA motor transport authority detected illicit emission-control software in the automaker's latest Euro 6 diesel models, German press reports said The recall involves A4, A5, A6, A7 and A8 sedans and Q5 and Q7 SUVs, the German transport ministry told the DPA news agency.

Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG) is set to launch an IPO on 2 Feb and list its shares on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange in the summer, according to the Chinese news agency Xinhua. The biggest rubber producer and exporter in Vietnam, VRG is expected to auction 475 million shares – 11.9% of its chartered capital of nearly €1.4bn – at a starting price of nearly 50 euro cents.

Spot prices for European butadiene rose to a three-month high as domestic and export demand continued to increase, according to ICIS.

18/1 Butadiene buyers in Asia are resisting a price hike by sellers this week, according to a 17 Jan ICIS report. The report said the resistance comes amid limited tank space in the region and is particularly from downstream synthetic rubber manufacturers.

Pirelli will supply six different tires as OE for the Automobili Lamborghini SpA's new Urus, the auto maker's first super SUV. The tires will be matched on vehicles to provide various functionalities and driving experiences, according to Pirelli.

17/1 Socfin Cambodia, the local branch of Swiss-based Socfin Group, is planning to set up its first rubber factory in Cambodia in April, according to Phnom Penh Post. The company is planning to invest €4.6m in the new factory.  Socfin Cambodia currently employs 630 people and has invested €72m in its Cambodian business, which operates plantations in the country.

Sri Lankan tiremaker CEAT Kelani is investing €38m in a new truck and bus tire manufacturing plant over the next two years, according to the Lanka Business Online. The new plant will double the company’s production capacity, with the aim to export the tires, primarily to the US.

16/1  Sales by German automotive suppliers can shrink by €3.8bn in case of a hard Brexit, according to the accounting firm Deloitte. According to a Reuters report, if the UK gives up full access to the single market and customs union, as many as 14,000 jobs at automotive suppliers in Germany could be lost.

12/1 China’s Jiangyin Haida Rubber & Plastic will supply solar roof sealing parts to US car-maker Tesla, according to a report by the China Rubber Journal. The report, published 25 Dec, said the contract was an open-end and its amount will be subject to “the final actual settlement”.

5/1 India has initiated a probe into alleged dumping of Chinese fluoroelastomers in the local market, according to a report by India-based Money Control. The Indian commerce ministry, said the report, believes that there is "sufficient evidence" of significant dumping margins to justify the probe.

4/1 India's Apollo Tyres was offering pay of up to Yen50m (€370k) a year in Japan for a person who could lead its R&D division in India or The Netherlands, according to a recent Nikkei Asian Review report.

French car registrations rose by 4.7% to 2.1m in 2017, led by increases of over 10% at Seat, Toyota, Skoda and Kia, industry group CCFA has reported. It was the third consecutive year of strong growth in France, following gains of 5.1% in 2016 and 6.8% in 2015.

3/1  Trelleborg has launched seven new websites in Chinese as part of its strategy to offer local presence to its customers. The websites are all locally hosted in mainland China, Trelleborg announced 21 Dec.

Hyundai Motor and Michelin have signed a technical partnership to equip “next-generation” tires for electric and luxury vehicles. The Korean automotive maker said 15 Nov that the deal will link the research and development work of the two companies, enabling Hyundai Motor to strengthen its capabilities in tire performance technology.

2/1 Lanxess and US private equity firm Apollo are planning a joint bid on parts of the specialty chemicals division of AkzoNobel, Handelsblatt has reported.

Cambodian natural rubber exports increased by nearly 36% in 2017 to 190,000 tonnes, according to a Khmer Times report, citing a senior official at Cambodia’s general directorate of rubber.

BASF SE has appointed Martin Brudermüller to succeed Kurt Bock as chairman of the board of directors following its annual shareholders’ meeting on 4 May. Brudermüller is currently vice chairman of the board of executive directors and CTO of BASF.

In the US, the Council of State Governments has approved a resolution noting that scientific evidence should be paramount when assessing recycled rubber play surfaces. The resolution was presented by a Republican senator in the context of recent debate surrounding the use of recycled rubber, fuelled by unsubstantiated reports regarding health concerns.

DECEMBER 2017

21/20 The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design has honoured tires from Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., Federal Corp., Groupe Michelin and Nexen Tire Corp. with "Good Design" awards, emblematic of "cutting-edge" design. The Chicago museum collaborates with the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies on selecting the winners.

20/12  Vietnam’s earnings from natural rubber exports has jumped 39% to over $2bn (€1.7bn) between January and November this year, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs. Volume wise, the figure rose 8.4% to 1.2 million tonnes, the country’s official news agency VNA reported. This was a six-year high record since 2011, when Vietnam exported over $3.2 billion worth of natural rubber.

19/12 BMW will invest over €100m in a test track for self-driving and electric cars in the Czech Republic. The facility is due on stream at the start of the next decade, said the car maker. BMW plans to introduce its first highly automated iNext model in 2021 and has teamed up with Intel, Mobileye, Delphi, Continental and Fiat Chrysler to develop a market for driverless vehicles.

Hungary's foreign minister has met Tesla executives during a tour of Silicon Valley and explained to them the tax breaks and other incentives offered to automakers in the eastern European country, national news agency MTI reported. Tesla is already reportedly set to build two supercharging stations in Hungary by the end of next year, while Hungary aims to install over 3,000 electric charging points by 2019.

18/12   SK Group, Korea’s third-largest conglomerate has denied news reports about its talks with Korea Development Bank over the acquisition of Kumho Tire. According to the Korea-based news website The Investor, the group said it was not considering the acquisition on 15 Dec.

Continental AG will supply tires to Tour de France support vehicles, including cars, vans and motorcycles, for the next five years as part of an agreement naming the tire maker an official partner of the annual bicycle racing event. Nikolai Setzer, head of Continental's global tire business, said the move was a logical step for the firm, which has committed itself to the development of high-tech bicycle tires.

14/12 Bridgestone Americas  officially opened Bridgestone Tower, its new $200m, 30-story North American HQ in downtown Nashville on 13 Dec. The building will house 1,700 employees. In addition, more than 450 employees and contractors are located at the Bridgestone Operations Center in the city's Antioch area.

Porsche AG has selected Nexen Tire's N'Fera RU1 as an original equipment fitment on the 2018 Macan compact SUV. The selected tire — which Nexen describes as an ultra-high-performance product optimised for sports driving—is being supplied to Porsche in sizes 235/55R19 101Y (front) and 255/50R19 103Y (rear).

13/12 Polish rubber manufacturer Synthos is reportedly challenging a US decision to impose 25.43% anti-dumping duties on imported ESBR from Polish suppliers. According to ICIS, Synthos filed a complaint on 11 Dec to join South Korea’s Kumho Petrochemical and Arlanxeo which have also protested the decision.

US car parts distributor LKQ Corp. is buying Stahlgruber GmbH of Poing, Germany, in a deal that will yield a pan-European parts distributor with estimated annual sales of €4.25bn. The deal, expected to close late in the first quarter or early in the second quarter of 2018, does not include REMA Tip Top AG, a sister company that specialises in transport belting and tire repair materials and equipment.

12/12 Synthetic rubber prices  are set to strengthen in Asian markets, according to Platts. Citing a cut in natural rubber exports from Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia since 1 Dec, the markets watcher predicted increases, particularly for SBR prices, from this week.

A group of large corporations has reportedly proposed to the Korea Development Bank to take over the management rights of Kumho Tires through third-party rights offering. According to Korea-based Maekyung online newspaper, the Korea Exchange has requested the tire company to disclose details of the deal.

9/12 Kumho Petrochemical has reportedly filed a lawsuit against the US government over the imposition of “unfair” anti-dumping duties on its synthetic rubber products, Korean Yonhap news agency has quoted industry sources as saying. According to the report, the company filed the lawsuit with the US Court of International Trade (CIT) in November.

6/12 The BMW Group has approved the Nokian WR D4 winter tire as OE for BMW X1, a high performance SAV (sports activity vehicle).  The Nokian WR D4 is a "new-generation" winter tire developed for the Central European weather conditions, Nokian announced 5 Dec.

The US Department of Commerce has made affirmative final antidumping determinations against imports of carbon and alloy steel wire rod from Belarus, the Russian Federation and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The final antidumping margin found for Belarus was 280.02 percent as a Belarus-wide entity, the agency said in its 21 Nov determination.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a tire factory to celebrate the 29 Nov launch of the Hwasong-15 –  the country's largest ever ballistic missile, the BBC has reported. The Amnokgang Tyre Factory in Pyongyang, said the report, overcame sanction difficulties to supply tires for the rocket transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) vehicle.

5/12 German automotive parts maker ElringKlinger has reached a joint venture deal with the Chinese company Sichuan Chengfei Integration Technology (CITC) to develop and produce lithium-ion battery modules. The agreement, signed by the companies on 24 Nov, covers the setting up of a joint enterprise to develop, produce and distribute modules to the global automotive market. The focus is on international e-mobility projects in Asia.

AkzoNobel NV shareholders have approved the separation of the Dutch company’s Specialty Chemicals operations, as part of its strategy to create two focused businesses of Paints & Coatings and Specialty Business. The speciality chemicals unit, which had a €4.8bn revenue in 2016 makes ingredients for products including plastics, detergents and pharmaceuticals.

4/12  VW has pledged to speed up efforts to develop more hybrid and fully-electric cars. Over the next five years it will invest €6bn in new technology and electric-car development including on its planned I.D. range. The company plans to sell 100,000 all-electric or hybrid-electric in 2020.

In the US, online tire retailer Simple Tire increased sales via smartphones by 400% year-over-year on ‘cyber Monday’ (27 Nov), Modern Tire Dealer has reported. Order values were slightly higher than for desktop transactions, due to higher the sales of premium-branded tires from makers such as Michelin, Bridgestone and Pirelli.  About half of SimpleTire's business now comes from smartphones and tablets combined, the report also noted.

General Motors plans to launch commercial autonomous vehicles at scale within two years as it reduces the costs of self-driving technologies and moves into service-based operations such as ride sharing. The automaker expects to deploy the fleets in “dense urban areas” by 2019. GM also plans to enter ride-sharing against the likes of Uber and Lyft and is currently testing third-generation self-driving vehicles.

The International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers (IISRP) has launched a website to register for its 59th AGM being held 7-10 May 2018 in Madrid. The event’s business programme features 12 speakers reflecting the theme, ‘today’s vision: tomorrow’s reality’.

Huber Carbonates LLC, part of J.M. Huber Corp., is increasing prices for its industrial calcium carbonate products, effective 1 Jan. Most prices will increase an average of 5-10%, depending on product and packaging, The hike is due to cost increases in materials, packaging, freight, regulatory compliance, labour and capital investments, Huber said.

Setting the scene for its Movin’On 2018 sustainable mobility event in Montreal, Michelin has rolled out the following stats: 85% of the world’s population lives in areas where WHO air quality guidelines are not met;  25% of light vehicles and 33% of commercial vehicles exceed the NOx legal emission rate; 30% of driving time is spent looking for parking; and $169bn is the annual cost of urban congestion in the US.

1/12  BASF on 1 Dec announced a 15% increase in prices of most of its additives for plastics applications with immediate effect. Products covered include antioxidants, light stabilisers and flame retardants.

Marangoni SpA has been ranked among the best Italian companies to work for. During a survey carried out by the German company Statista, employees were asked to “vote” on workplace satisfaction levels. The company ranked 13th in an ‘automotive and vehicle construction’ section. Leaders is this sector included Ferrari and Lamborghini.

NOVEMBER

29/11  Closing share prices of selected tire and rubber/materials companies on 28 Nov (cf 30 Oct closing price): Avon Rubber plc (LSE) 1,149.54p (975.00p) / Bridgestone Corp. (Tokyo) Yen 5,095 (Yen5,390.0) / Cabot Corp. (NSYE) $60.63 ($60.17) / Cooper Tire & Rubber (NYSE) $35.85 ($32.32) / Daetwyler Holding AG (SWX) CHF178.90 (CHF164.90) / Fenner plc (LSE) 405.87 (326.39p) / Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (Nasdaq) $31.81 ($31.66) / Hexpol AB (STO) SEK79.70 (SEK83.15) / Michelin (Paris) €121.35 (€124.70) / Nokian Tyres plc (HEL) SEK36.40 (SEK39.44) / Pirelli (MIL) €7.08 (€6.51) / Sumitomo Rubber Industries (Tokyo) Yen1,990 (Yen2,137) / Trelleborg AB (STO) SEIK202.40 (SEK206.80).

28/11 India’s Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) and Rubber Board are working together to improve the quality of the country’s natural rubber, according ATMA chairman Satish Sharma. Quoting the official, India’s automotive news website ETAuto said the move was part of a drive by the Indian tire industry to improve quality of manufacturing.

26/11 Samsung Electronics believes now is the time to bet big on a shift toward electric, connected and autonomous vehicles. President and chief strategy officer Young Sohn described Samsung's current $5bn share of revenue from the car industry as modest: "It's not much for Samsung, because we make $200bn in revenue, but I'm hoping over time that this portion will increase and we will hit $20bn by 2025," Sohn told Automotive News Europe. To enable Level 3 conditional autonomy, for example, Samsung estimates car makers will have to install sensors, electronics and software to to handle the rapidly rising rate of data transfer.

23/11 Michelin is still seeking to find jobs outside the company for about 300 workers at its soon-to-close Ballymena plant, the Ballymena & Antrim Times has reported. The French tire maker announced two years ago that the 860-employee plant would close in mid-2018, Since then, 260 staff have found new jobs, 65 have retired and a further 43 have transferred to other Michelin facilities, the newspaper said.

Akzo Nobel has ended recently announced merger talks with Axalta. The decision was announced amid  reports that Nippon Paint Holdings had made a cash offer to acquire Axalta Coating Systems.

22/11 The US space agency NASA has developed a new tire for its space rovers, which is specifically designed for the terrain on Mars and other rocky planets. According to the Mirror, “spring tire” is airless and is made from several hundred coiled wires woven into a flexible mesh.

21/11  Rockwell Automation has elected president and CEO Blake Moret as chairman of the board effective 1 Jan, 2018. Moret, 54, succeeds Keith Nosbusch, who has served as chairman since 2005 and remains as a director.

Styrene butadiene rubber was Iran’s fifth fastest growing polymer in the six months ending 30 Sept, according to Polympart news service. The country produced 25.7 kilotonnes of SBR during the first half of the Iranian calendar year, registering a 24% rise compared to the previous year.

19/11 Lehmann & Voss has started building a new €4.5m laboratory and technical centre at its Hamburg Wandsbek plant. The Hamburg-based company’s MD Dr. Thomas Oehmichen said: “We want to make sure that we maintain and continue to strengthen our leadership position, more particularly, in the field of plastics… but also in the fields of rubber and paints & coatings.”

ContiTech North America Inc. is consolidating its textile reinforcements business in the US to one plant, in Barnesville, and has budgeted $9m to cover the move and modernise the 129-year-old Barnesville plant. The facilities produce single-end yarns and fabrics for technical reinforcement applications that adhere to specific rubber compounds, including tires.

General Motors Co. expects its electrified vehicle business to be profitable with the launch of its next-generation electric vehicle platform in 2021, CEO Mary Barra said. GM plans to sell 1m EVs annually by 2026, driven by ongoing cost reductions and the debut of at least 20 new all-electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles globally by 2023.

Myanmar is set to increase natural rubber production in response to growing overseas demand, U Myo Thant, vice-chair at the Myanmar Rubber Planters and Producers Association has told The Myanmar Times.

17/11 Michelin North America chairman and president Pete Selleck will retire at year-end, concluding a 35-year career at Michelin, including the last six in his current positions. Selleck's successor will be named in January, Michelin said.

Asahi Kasei Europe is participating in the three-year multi-partner ALIGN-CCUS (carbon capture, utilisation and storage) project to help transform six European industrial regions into economically robust, low-carbon centres by 2025. Asahi Kasei’s electrolyser technology will be used for CO2 reuse and therefore the reduction of CO2 emissions.

16/11  Prices of styrene butadiene rubber in Asia continue to fall due to the weakness of rival product natural rubber and butadiene, according to ICIS. Quoting a trader, ICIS said SBR prices have now fallen to $1,500/tonne in Asia.

Dutch chemicals company Royal DSM is restructuring its additive manufacturing activities in the face of increasing mass customisation and small volume production trends using AM. The company announced that it was creating a “customer-centric” organisation by aligning all its AM activities within its Materials cluster and promoting a partnership approach.

15/11  Lanxess is to acquire Solvay’s phosphorus chemicals business. The unit’s US site in Charleston, South Carolina manufactures phosphorus chloride and derivatives including flame-retardants. It has annual sales of around €65m. "With this acquisition, we are benefiting from a North American platform for phosphorus-based specialty chemicals," said Anno Borkowsky, general manager of Lanxess’ Additives business unit.

Hennecke is acquiring all shares of OMS Group. “With this acquisition, two technological leaders in the polyurethane machinery business are joining forces to open up opportunities for stronger growth”, said Rolf Trippler, MD of Hennecke.

American Biltrite (Canada) Ltd is finishing the first phase of a three-year, $12m investment in its Sherbrooke, Quebec facility. The expansion, which will increase the workforce by 30 to 260, will support the launch of a new rubber flooring line in Q1/18. The company is also adding equipment to raise capacity for both existing and new flooring products as well as its industrial rubber division.

India's CEAT Ltd has earned the Deming Prize, an award that recognises companies which achieve business transformation by implementing TQM. CEAT is the first non-Japanese tire company to have been selected for the prize, considered one of the oldest and most prestigious quality awards in the world.

14/11  The classic children's book, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," served as photographer Tim Walker's inspiration for the Pirelli 2018 Calendar, which was unveiled Nov. 10 at the Manhattan Center in New York.

14/11 Iran's Jam Petrochemical Complex is set to start production of ABS rubber in March. According to the company managing director Hossein Mirafzali, a new expansion project will come on stream by the end of Iranian year in March, adding a 200ktpa capacity  for production of ABS resins and 60 ktpa of ABS rubber.

10/11 Federal Insurance Co. must pay Michelin North America nearly $2.5 million in coverage for a theft from the tire maker's retirement fund, doubling the amount Federal originally offered to pay Michelin.

8/11 The International Rubber Consortium (IRCo)  has announced that it expects 'La Nina' natural phenomenon to hit South East Asia from November 2017 – January 2018 and bring heavy rains, affecting production of natural rubber in the region.

6/11 Vietnam’s government has reported damage to 40,000 hectares of crops, including sugar cane, rice fields and rubber plantations by a typhoon over the weekend, according to Reuters.

Pirelli has recently issued top-supplier awards: Jiangsu Xingda Steel Tyre Cord Co Ltd (China): metallic reinforcements; Cabot Corp., carbon black production; Zeon Corp., synthetic rubber; Thai Eastern Innovation, NR producer and exporter; Karl Eugen Fischer GmbH, tire production machinery; Himile Mechanical Science and Technology, tire moulds; Com Divers Logistic Srl (Romania), logistics sector; and Reply, cyber security and IT services.

1/11  Toyota is exploring the potential of airless tires to reduce the weight of electric vehicles. At the Tokyo auto show the company presented a hydrogen-powered concept car, Fine-Comfort Ride, with airless tires supplied by Sumitomo Rubber Industries. The company’s Gyroblade technology features a tire tread affixed to a metallic wheel surrounded by polymer spokes.

Cabot is paying $64m to acquire Tech Bland, a North American producer of black masterbatches mainly for plastics. Tech Blend produces black masterbatches, or concentrates, for applications in the automotive, infrastructure and agricultural industries at a facility in Quebec.

Cooper Standard’s Europe segment increased Q3 sales 4.8% y-o-y to $254.4m helped by foreign exchange rates and volume/mix gains. Losses rose, however, to $9.0m compared to a loss of $5.6m in Q3/16. This was due to a $5.7m non-cash charge for the wind-up and annuitization of its UK pension plan, higher material costs, and foreign exchange pressure, partially offset by better volume/mix. operating efficiency gains and restructuring savings.

OCTOBER

31/10 Closing share prices of selected tire and rubber/materials companies on 30 Oct (14 Aug closing price, except Pirelli): Avon Rubber plc (LSE) 975.00p (1,000.20p) / Bridgestone Corp. (Tokyo) Yen5,390.0 (Yen4789.0) / Cabot Corp. (NSYE) $60.17 ($51.94) / Cooper Tire & Rubber (NYSE) $32.32 ($34.30) / Daetwyler Holding AG (SWX) CHF164.90 (CHF157.0) / Fenner plc (LSE) 326.39p (333.70p) / Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (Nasdaq) $31.66 ($30.20) / Hexpol AB (STO) SEK83.15 (SEK81.25) / Michelin (Paris) €124.70 (€117.15) / Nokian Tyres plc (HEL) SEK39.44 (SEK36.31) / Pirelli (MIL) €6.51 (€6.47 – 4 Oct) / Sumitomo Rubber Industries (Tokyo) Yen2,137 (Yen1,796) / Trelleborg AB (STO) SEK206.80 (SEK189.60).

According to China’s MOFCOM, in the week 16-22 Oct the national market price index for ‘means of production’ – it includes steel, coal, rubber and chemical raw materials –  increased by 0.3% over the previous week. The price of rubber, it said, increased by 0.7%, and prices for synthetic rubber and natural rubber rose by 1.5% and 0.1% respectively.

Chemours is to build a ‘research and innovation’ facility on the University of Delaware's STAR (science, technology and advanced research) campus. The $150m project, it said, will keep 330 research and technician jobs in the Wilmington area.  The unit to be completed by early 2020.

Recent changes to South Korea’s visa policy are increasing costs for suppliers and customers and impeding business. Germany’s VDMA has complained. For example, said a release, service technicians installing or repairing machines and plants are now subject to visa charges and delays. South Korean personnel, on the other hand, can currently travel to Germany without a visa, the association added.

The global robotics market in rubber, plastics, and chemicals industries to grow at a CAGR of 10.26% during 2017-2021. according to a report being supplied by Research and Markets. Drivers, it said, include the emergence of new players, advances in hardware and improved system integration services around commissioning, installing, repairing, upgrading, and maintenance. Key vendors are listed as including ABB, Fanuc, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Kuka.

30/10  Iran has reported two fatal fire incidents at its refineries in less than a week. At least two workers were killed in a fire that broke out on a gas exploration rig at Rag Sefid field in southwestern Iran on 29 Oct. The fire follows another incident at the Tehran refinery last week where six were killed due to an explosion, the Iranian oil ministry has confirmed.

Dunlop Zimbabwe is set to restart its operations as Auto Tyres Zimbabwe as of next year following investment in modern machinery, according to the local Zimbabwe Business Chronicle newspaper. The plant, which closed down end of 2016 due to currency constraints, is now recruiting former employees after shareholders purchased new tire manufacturing equipment in July. Auto Tyres Zimbabwe can currently produce 6,000 tonnes of tire per year, which can in the future increase to 7,000 tonnes.

27/10  To secure production at its UK plant, Toyota needs clarity about access to EU markets after Brexit, executive VP Didier Leroy told Reuters in an interview at the Tokyo auto show. The car maker builds its Auris and Avensis models at Burnaston, England and has over 3,000 UK employees.

Huntsman and Clariant announced 27 Oct that they had jointly terminated their proposed merger. Huntsman  president and CEO Peter Huntsman said the continued accumulation of shares by activist investor and merger-opponent White Tale Holdings, now supported by some other shareholders, had created too much uncertainty as to whether Clariant could secure the two-thirds shareholder approval required by Swiss law.

Cooper Tire’s high performance Cooper Zeon CS8 passenger car tire in size 205/60R16 92V has been selected as OE  on the new VW T-Roc compact SUV, sold throughout Europe and produced at its factory in Palmela, Portugal. This marks the first Cooper tire to be specified as an OE fitment for VW.

Dayton is launching two new products in the value truck tire segment: medium-sized Dayton D550S steer tire and D650D drive tire for light and medium trucks. Dayton tires, which are made in Europe by Bridgestone, are designed to give cost-oriented fleet operators.

26/10 Hoisdorf, Germany-headquartered Bruss Sealing Systems has been “put up for sale” by its in a potential €600m deal, according to a Reuters report – citing unnamed sources. ERJ is awaiting a reply from the automotive parts company regarding the report.

Marangoni said tire-rolling-resistance testing at its R&D lab has recently been confirmed – by an independent third-party body – as complying to TÜV standards. Compliance, it noted, is important in checking if tires meet existing and emerging EU regulations, including those relating to labelling of retreaded tires.

Delphi Automotive said it plans to acquire Boston-based autonomous vehicle software supplier NuTonomy in a deal that could be valued at $450m. The acquisition would nearly double Delphi's 100-plus automated driving team with NuTonomy's 100 employees, including 70 engineers and scientists.

25/10  Closing share prices of selected tire and rubber/materials companies on 24 Oct (14 Aug closing price): Avon Rubber plc (LSE) 963.30p (1,000.20p) / Bridgestone Corp. (Tokyo) Yen5,476.0 (Yen4789.0) / Cabot Corp. (NSYE) $59.93 ($51.94) / Daetwyler Holding AG (SWX) CHF161.50 (CHF157.0) / Fenner plc (LSE) 327.12p (333.70p) / Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (Nasdaq) $34.06 ($30.20) / Hexpol AB (STO) SEK86.50 (SEK81.25) / Michelin (Paris) €122.30 (€117.15) / Nokian Tyres plc (HEL) SEK39.30 (SEK36.31) / Sumitomo Rubber Industries (Tokyo) Yen2,144 (Yen1,796) / Trelleborg AB (STO) SEK205.10 (SEK189.60).

Synthos SA said 20 Oct that two of its supervisory board members, Mariusz Gromek and Wojciech Ciesielski, had resigned from the board. Neither person, it said, indicated reasons for their departure.

24/10 US November butadiene contracts are expected to settle low as a result of global decline in prices of butadiene and rubber, according to ICIS.  Early projections for next month, it said on 19 Oct, "were heard down as much as 5 cents/lb ($22/tonne), with most expecting some sort of decline."

Goodyear's Houston chemical plant earned certification to Voluntary Protect Program Star Status by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration. The VPP certification recognises companies for "outstanding safety and health management systems" and maintaining injury and illness rates below national Bureau of Labor Statistics averages.

23/10 Kumho Petrochemical expects its synthetic rubber sales and operating profit to increase by 35% and 59% respectively to KRW2,106.1 billion (€1.5 billion) and KRW50.7 billion in the year 2017, according to a report by Asia Today. The newspaper quoted Youngchan Baek, industry analyst at KB Securities, as saying that Kumho’s average utilisation rate of SR factories in China remained at 60% to address oversupply of the product.

Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd has purchased a Opelika, Alabama speciality chemicals manufacturing plant formerly owned by Apollo Chemicals, part of Mt. Vernon Chemicals group. The UK company plans a major overhaul and upgrade of the facility to a state-of-the-art, flexible plant for the custom manufacture of speciality chemicals.

Michelin North America Inc. has added John Deere tractor dealer Ag-Pro Companies and parts wholesaler Sunbelt Outdoor Products Inc. to the distribution network for its Tweel non-pneumatic tire/wheel product line. The moves coincide with the addition of a pair of new sizes/fitments for zero-turn mowers, which Michelin Wheel Technologies is launching in the US.

20/10 Former manufacturing director at Goodyear’s German production factory in Hanau, Josy Blum, has taken the position of manufacturing director at the company’s Luxembourg plant, according to Luxemberuger Post. He replaces John Ries who will take over the management of Hanau plant. Blum started his career at Goodyear in 1989.

19/10  Kobe Steel USA Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of Kobe Steel Ltd has received a document from the US judicial administrative authority requesting documents related to non-conformity with the specification of products sold to US customers. The Japanese company said it will “sincerely cooperate” with the investigation.

Porsche has selected Bridgestone as a supplier of tires for the third generation Porsche Cayenne. Its Dueler H/P Sport is being fitted for both 19” and 20” wheels was fully developed at the Bridgestone European Technical Centre in Rome. The tires will be produced at Bridgestone’s plant in Poznan, Poland. “This is a notable return for Bridgestone as an OE fitment on Porsche,” said the tire maker.

Robert Bosch LLC and German parent Robert Bosch GmbH have won a permanent injunction in federal court against a Florida auto parts wholesaler to resolve Bosch's allegations of counterfeiting, trademark infringement and unfair competition.

Continental has launched a $40m expansion project of its Morganton, West Virginia facility on 17 Oct. The 82,000-sq foot expansion project will generate 150 new full- time jobs and will enable the facility to increase production of the company’s MK C1 braking system.

Following recent contracts with Evonik and Thyssenkrupp to produce propylene oxide (PO), MOL has signed a new agreement with Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (Thailand) Ltd covering technology to convert PO into polyether polyols and propylene glycols. The contract concerns the purchase of licenses, process design packages and FEED of production units to convert PO into polyether polyols and propylene glycols. With the investment, MOL expects to be the main producer of both products in central Europe.

17/10

Cefic has issued EU chemical industry data for Q3/17: Chemicals output ?3.3%, Chemicals producer prices ?5.4%, Chemicals sales ?8.3%, Consumption?7.7%, Exports ?8.5%, Imports ?6.1%, Trade surplus ?13.8%, Employment ?1.1%

Closing share prices of selected rubber companies on 16 Oct (14 Aug closing price): Avon Rubber plc (LSE) 999.50p (1,000.20p) / Bridgestone Corp. (Tokyo) Yen5,358.0 (Yen4789.0) / Cabot Corp. (NSYE) $58.51 (51.94) / Daetwyler Holding AG (SWX) CHF161.90 (CHF157.0) / Fenner plc (LSE) 320.54p (333.70p) / Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (Nasdaq) $33.04 ($30.20) / Michelin (Paris) €121.30 (€117.15) / Nokian Tyres plc (HEL) SEK38.44 (SEK36.31) / Sumitomo Rubber Industries (Tokyo) Yen2,116 (Yen1,796) / Trelleborg AB (STO) SEK202.30 (SEK189.60).

Over 1m Mercedes-Benz cars and SUVs are being recalled due to potential fault that could cause unintended airbag deployments. The recall includes 495k vehicles in the US, 400k in the UK, 76k in Canada and several 100k in Germany.

Honda has designated a 17-inch version of Hankook's Kinergy GT UHP tire as an OE fitment on its 2018 Accord. Hankook said it will be supplying tires in 225/50R17 V, which Honda documents show as the car's standard size. The Korean tire maker already supplies OE tires for Honda’s Civic and CR-V.

In the US, the Hose Manufacturers Conference, 24-25 Oct in Fairlawn, Ohio will feature a keynote presentation by Andreas Gerstenberger, ContiTech executive VP and head of its Industrial Fluid Solutions business. His presentation will focus on the global transformation of industrial and automotive business models.

13/10

Bridgestone Canada Inc. plans to close its Firestone Textiles Co. facility in Woodstock, which produces nylon-6-based reinforcement for Bridgestone's tires and non-tire businesses and external customers, by H2/18. The closing impacts 170 employees. Bridgestone cited "increasing global competition and difficult market conditions" for its decision.

In Turkey, four workers were killed in an explosion at the Tüpra? ?zmir refinery on 11 Oct. The company is investigating the incident, which happened during post-maintenance work in a product tank.

Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd has started supplying its high-performance "SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT" runflat tires to Lexus for use as factory-standard tires on the car maker’s LC. The tire is claimed to employ “cutting-edge” runflat technology and achieve “exceptional safety performance” and provide “superior manoeuvre-ability and refined riding comfort.”

In the US, Smithers Rapra has expanded its existing chemistry laboratory space by over 40% (about 2,000 sq ft): adding a new extractables and leachables lab at its ‘global business accelerator’ unit, near Smithers' HQ site in Akron.

German group BASF has stopped delivering and is withdrawing unprocessed TDI following the supply – to 50 EMEA customers – of materials contaminated with dichlorobenzene in August and September. The withdrawal process is to be completed by the end of next week, as announced 11 Oct by BASF, which is investigating the cause of contamination.

Michelin has signed a commercial agreement with Ashok Leyland to supply its Michelin X Guard range of radial truck tires for its Captain 3718 PLUS long and medium distance commercial vehicles.

In the US, Streetsboro, Ohio-based PVC compounder Aurora Plastics LLC is expanding into thermoplastic elastomers with the acquisition of S&E Specialty Polymers of Lunenburg, Massachusetts.

12/10

Michelin solutions has won a tire-management contract with global transport and logistics company XPO Logistics covering nearly 80% of its 17,000-strong European fleet. The three-year deal marks one of the largest and most complex commercial vehicle tire contracts in the sector, said Michelin, which already had a 9,000-vehicle contract covering close to 90% of XPO’s French-based fleet, plus all truck and trailer assets in Poland and Romania

As of 1 Nov, Wacker is raising its prices for silicone polymers, silicone fluids and silicones from downstream production stages. The company’s pyrogenic silica HDK will also be affected. Depending on product family, region and business field, the price increase will range up to 25%, if permitted by existing customer contracts. This measure is linked to increasing raw-material and energy costs.

Toyota has selected an 18-inch version of Hankook's Kinergy GT all-season premium grand-touring tire for OE fitment on "select" 2018 Camry models, including models sold in North America. Hankook called the OE deal with Toyota a "successful milestone," considering that the Camry was the No. 1 selling passenger car in the US in 2016.

Bridgestone Canada Inc.'s plant in Joliette has been recognised as a "significant job creator" in Quebec's Lanaudière region and for providing a "safe and innovative working environment" for its 1,300 employees, by a coalition of local industrial and labour groups. Last year saw the launch of a $250m, five-year expansion at the 50-year-old car and light truck tire plant.

Nikkei-TOCOM Rubber Index fell 8.6% in September to 88.38 and 8.3% lower than in the previous month. Trading volumes for natural rubber in Tokyo rose 18.3% month-on-month and 28.1% to reach 165,690 last month.

In the US, tire barcode label maker FineLine Technologies Inc. has acquired Data2 Corp. a St. Louis-based global service bureau provider of barcode and RFID tags and labels. FineLine said the move was part of a program to expand into advanced barcoding and RFID-enabling technologies for hard-to-tag products in the retail and other industrial supply chains.

Lyondell Basell has awarded Fluor the engineering and procurement contract for its 445ktpa propylene oxide and 998ktpa tertiary butyl alcohol project at its Channelview and Bayport complexes, near Houston. The project is due fir completion in 2021.

Chemours has signed an agreement recognising MacLellan Rubber Ltd as an authorised distributor of its Viton products. This, said MacLellan, makes it one of only a few companies in the UK who are members of the ‘Viton licensee program’.

11/10

Workers at Michelin’s Saint-Doulchard facility staged a 24-hour strike on 10 Oct in protest against working-time changes