CITExpo 2017 opens in Shanghai

The 15th edition of the China International Tire Expo has opened at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center. Exhibitors at the show comprise a mix of growing tyre manufacturers from the Chinese market, international trading companies, wheel suppliers and others, while. In addition to Chinese industry players, Europe is represented by UK distributor Oak Tyres’ Davanti tyre brand, FM Tyres from the Netherlands, and Italian distributor Franco Gomme, while Singapore’s Stamford Tyres and Taiwan’s Nankang add to the international exhibitor base. The internationalism of the show is also reflected in the visitors arriving today from five continents.

The show opens at a moment that has the potential to change the shape of the industry. In Europe, the European Commission is to initiate an anti-dumping proceeding focusing on imports of truck and bus tyres originating in the People’s Republic, prompted by the “coalition against unfair tyres imports,” a group representing the interests of manufacturers accounting for more than 45 per cent of all new and retreaded truck and bus tyre production in the European Union.

Meanwhile in China, the government’s crackdown on certain factories for environmental reasons looks likely to affect some tyre manufacturers’ pricing structure. Tyres & Accessories spoke to one representative who suggested that some factories could struggle to meet demands as the availability of raw materials for tyre production is affected by the state mandated closures.