Toyo mulls North America TBR tire factory

Tokyo – Toyo Tire Corp. is considering the possibility of establishing a new truck and bus tire (TBR) production facility in North America, as part of efforts to strengthen its supply structure in the region.

In a 9 April statement to ERJ, the Japanese group said it has identified the growing demand for TBR tires in North America is a “key growth opportunity.”

As a result, Toyo said it has outlined a policy of "strengthening its supply structure for the North American TBR market" in its 'mid-term plan 2026' announced on 4 March. (ERJ report)

The Japanese group, is therefore, “currently in the process of examining the possibility of establishing a new TBR production base in the North American region.”

At this stage, however, key details remain undecided.

If approved, the project would fall under the group’s broader plan to allocate Yen340 billion (€1.85 billion) in growth investments through 2030.

The group said “specific details such as the timing of production commencement, scale, and functions have not yet been determined.”

Toyo added that it is conducting “comparative studies of multiple candidate countries and regions, including the US,” for the planned factory.

However, “no location has been decided at this time” and “no specific country or region is being assumed,” it added.

The objective of the potential investment is to “enhance supply capacity and strengthen profitability in anticipation of future business growth in the North American market,” Toyo said.

However, it noted, “no individual numerical targets, such as specific sales growth rates, have been set for the new plant itself.”