Linglong reaches 1.2m capacity for all-steel tires in Serbia

Shanghai, China – Linglong Tire has started commercial production of all-steel truck and bus tires at its manufacturing facility in Zrenjanin, Serbia, the Chinese tire maker has announced.

In a third quarter results statement, issued 4 Nov, the tire maker said phase I of the project, which included manufacturing capacity for 1.2 million units of all-steel truck and bus tires had “reached production”.

Semi-steel passenger car tires will be tested in the second quarter of 2023, with production capacity set to reach 6 million units by the end of the year, continued Linglong.

The tire maker said it had signed a cooperation agreement with Chinese contractor CCCC First Highway Engineering Group for the completion of the Serbian project’s next phase – without giving further details of the agreement.

As announced in 2018, the €863-million production plant in northern Serbia is slated to produce 13.62 million radial tires per year: 12 million units of passenger car tires, 1.6 million units of truck and bus tires as well as 20,000 off-the-road tires.