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China is one of the largest tire manufacturing and exporting countries in the world. January 2006 figures show that overseas shipments are still on the rise, already totaling close to 8 million pieces worth US$297 million.
In 2005, China shipped more than US$3 billion worth of tires, which is 55 percent more than what it exported the year before. Export volume rose at a relatively slow rate of 34 percent from 68.7 million pieces in 2004 to 91.8 million in 2005. Rising prices are the primary reason behind the higher growth rate of export value. Customs statistics show that the average unit value of tires increased close to 16 percent in 2005, compared with the 10 percent adjustment the previous year. China-made tires are available in bias, semi steel radial and all-steel radial models. The Products & Prices section in this report discusses the key characteristics of each category, as well as the major factors that distinguish low end, mid range and high-end products. The production of bias and radial tires starts off the same, but diverges at assembly stage. The processes are described in detail in this report's Manufacturing section, which also compares small, midsize and large suppliers in terms of production capability and the machinery they use. Product development in China's tires industry often involves in-house and collaborative efforts with buyers and research institutes. The results of these partnerships are discussed in the R&D/Design section of this report. The Industry Overview elaborates on the composition of China's tires industry, highlighting the key characteristics of the different types of suppliers. The majority of the estimated 500 tire manufacturers in the country are private, locally owned companies. In addition, there are several foreign invested enterprises or joint ventures with the top tire brands in the world. Global Sources surveyed a wide range of suppliers to produce this report, including some of the largest companies in China. This report has profiles of eight of the top 15 tire makers in China, all of which are ranked among the world's 75 largest tire companies based on sales. These suppliers include Triangle, Hangzhou Zhongce, Shandong Linglong and Aeolus, which generated more than US$1 billion worth of export revenue from tires last year. This report also profiles three of the top five tire manufacturers in Taiwan, including Cheng Shin, which is the island's largest maker. Apart from these high-profile suppliers, we also interviewed many midsize and emerging manufacturers, which form the core of the industry. The selection of suppliers in this report is consistent with the composition of the industry, with more than three-quarters of the interviewed companies wholly China-owned. The rest are foreign invested or publicly listed. In addition, more than half of the suppliers in this report are based in Shandong province, which is the center of tire production in China. Global Sources research teams toured the factories of 13 makers and spoke with senior executives, who discussed their 2005 performance and forecasts for 2006. This report has an in-depth profile of each of these makers, as well as detailed profile tables of an additional 26 suppliers.
All information contained in China Sourcing Reports is the result of exclusive, ground-level and definitive research conducted by Global Sources' analysts. Companies featured in these reports may or may not be clients of Global Sources.
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