Chinese tyre maker Jinyu Tire Group has completed the passenger car tyre project in Vietnam as part of its strategy to return to the passenger vehicle tyre market. The group fully commissioned the plant, which can manufacture 10 million high-performance semi-steel radial tyres annually, in a ceremony on 15 April.

Launched in January last year, the project is an expansion of Jinyu’s existing truck & bus tyre production facility in Tay Ninh province, which currently produces two million TBR tyres annually. By the second half of 2026, the factory should be scaled up to full capacity. The company expects to produce 10 million TBR and 10 million PCR tyres annually across all of its production facilities once the initiative goes into full-scale production.

After a five-year hiatus to concentrate on the development of TBR tyres, Jinyu is making a triumphant comeback to the passenger vehicle tyre market with this landmark project. The facility has a testing unit, a technical R&D centre and automated manufacturing equipment. In order to guarantee that operations are traceable and controlled, the factory additionally uses intelligent management systems like MES, RDM and LIMS for real-time data collecting and analysis.

Chang Xianxu, Chairman, Jinyu Tire, said, "The successful completion of the PCR project in Vietnam is another breakthrough for Jinyu Tire in multiple dimensions such as high-end tyre manufacturing, technology research and development, production management and international operation capabilities. This also serves as a strong testament to Jinyu Tire’s unwavering commitment to the development and application of rubber tyre technologies and services, with the mission of delivering optimal value and experience to its customers. Upon full-scale production, the project is expected to reach an annual capacity of 10 million high-performance passenger and light truck (PLT) tyres by the second half of 2026. By then, Jinyu Tire will possess a dual production capacity of 10 million units each for TBR (Truck and Bus Radial) and PLT tyres, enabling the company to better serve and meet the needs of its global customers, while helping its global partners achieve greater business scale. This reflects a deep embodiment of the company’s core value – ‘Common Interests Above All Else’.”

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Infiniteria Europe and Aliapur, a French State-approved eco-organisation, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to pursue an agreement for supplying end-of-life tyres to two planned Infiniteria recycling plants in France. The MoU outlines intentions for a long-term supply arrangement in which Aliapur would furnish the end-of-life tyres needed to operate both facilities.

The agreement creates a framework for a secure, reliable and sustainable long-term supply chain and provides a foundation for continued development of both projects. Shortlisted sites are being assessed, with environmental impact studies under way. The partnership marks a significant milestone for the projects and reflects both companies’ shared commitment to recovering valuable secondary raw materials from end-of-life tyres, developing more circular industrial value chains and increasing tyre recycling capacity in France.

The collaboration combines Aliapur’s material recovery experience with Infiniteria Europe’s recycling solution development expertise. Both companies aim to build a strong long-term partnership supporting tyre recovery and recycling in France, and they look forward to further strengthening their collaboration as the projects advance through subsequent development stages.

Kajsa Ryttberg-Wallgren, CEO, Infiniteria Europe, said, “This MoU brings our two planned plants in France one step closer to realisation. They will form an important part of our broader ambition to build Europe’s leading business in circular tyre recycling, transforming end-of-life tyres into valuable resources for new uses.”

Mathieu Chardin, Managing Director, Aliapur, said, “Aliapur is proud to have been selected by Infiniteria Europe, an industrial company with proven expertise in tyre pyrolysis technology, as a strategic partner for the supply of raw materials to its future plants in France. This partnership also supports our commitment to France’s reindustrialisation and ecological transition, two priorities at the heart of the Government’s strategy for a more resilient, competitive and sustainable industry.”

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ETRTO held its 62nd General Assembly on 2 October in Nantes, France, drawing strong attendance from Full members and Experts, alongside the TNPF (Travaux de Normalisation des Pneumatiques pour la France) team, UNECE GRBP Chairman, a JATMA delegation and several Honorary members.

The Assembly approved a name change from European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation to European Tyre, Rim & Valve Technical Organisation while retaining the ETRTO acronym. It also endorsed all 80 Technical Subcommittee resolutions, set for inclusion in the 2027 Standards Manual and Engineering Design Information publications, and amendments to ETRTO Recommendations, due for free publication on the ETRTO website in five languages.

Christian Lerner (Continental) and Peter Roest (Apollo) were elected President and Vice President, respectively, for 2027. Presentations covered UNECE GRBP tyre regulatory trends and TNPF’s role in the French regulatory landscape, while Technical Subcommittee chairmen outlined activity highlights and future trends. ETRTO also demonstrated its new Data Portal, available for the Passenger Car tyre section from early 2027.

Appreciation was extended to Jérôme Barrand (Michelin, current ETRTO President) for organising the Assembly and to TNPF for hosting the Gala Dinner. The 63rd ETRTO General Assembly is scheduled for 1 October 2027.

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Sri Trang Group has been recognised by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for its efforts to promote financial and investment literacy among employees. Pacharin Anuwongwattanachai, Company Secretary of Sri Trang Agro-Industry Public Company Limited (STA), and Thanawan Sa-ngiamsak, Chief Financial Officer of Sri Trang Gloves (Thailand) Public Company Limited (STGT), accepted the ‘Organization Promoting Financial and Investment Literacy for Employees’ certificates on behalf of their respective companies. The ceremony, held under the SEC's Financial Well-being in Workplace project, took place at the Royal Thai Army Club on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Bangkok on 9 October 2026.

The SEC accolade underscores Sri Trang Group's dedication to sustainable business practices, especially the social pillar of sustainability that prioritises comprehensive care for employees' quality of life and well-being. STA advances financial, investment and savings literacy through structured and ongoing financial education programmes. All eight categories of the SEC's online financial and investment lessons have been integrated into the companies' self-learning platforms, allowing staff to build skills independently. Training sessions with SEC experts cover financial and investment planning for salaried employees as well as retirement planning for those aged 50 and above and investment planning tailored to individual needs.

Disciplined saving is further encouraged through income and expense tracking, financial health check-ups and discussion groups in which employees exchange insights on managing provident fund investments with expert guidance. These measures help staff strengthen financial security, ease financial worries and sustainably improve the quality of life for themselves and their families. The approach reflects the Group's care for its people alongside its commitment to good corporate governance, aligning with annual reporting disclosures and the corporate governance assessment criteria for Thai listed companies.

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Pirelli's 23-season run as sole official tyre supplier to the FIM Superbike World Championship ended at Jerez de la Frontera during the Pirelli Spanish Round. The Italian manufacturer helped shape the technical identity of the premier production-derived series through continuous product development and innovation while emphasising tyre safety and reliability and cooperating closely with organisers, the federation, manufacturers and teams.

The firm's connection to production-based motorcycle world championship racing dates back to 1989, when it debuted with the Rumi team's Honda RC30 ridden by reigning world champion Fred Merkel. The American narrowly missed the podium at Donington Park but took pole and won both Hungaroring rounds, putting him on course to defend his crown. After withdrawing from major motorcycle racing championships in the 1990s, Pirelli returned in 2004, when the WorldSBK promoter chose it as sole official tyre supplier under an arrangement that marked a turning point in international motorsport.

The company's strategy was straightforward: turning racing into a genuine development laboratory for motorcyclists. In a championship built on production-derived machines, that meant supplying tyres closely resembling products available to the public rather than solutions created exclusively for competition. Pirelli pursued innovation that progressively redefined racing tyre performance and then fed track knowledge back into its road products.

The DIABLO Superbike, launched in 2005, became a benchmark in the racing slick range, and the DIABLO Supercorsa followed in 2007 for support classes, leading in 2008 to the DIABLO Supercorsa SP road tyre. The SC0 compound arrived for the DIABLO Superbike in 2012 and reached the road range a year later. Rims changed from 16.5 to 17 inches in 2013, and 125/70 front and 200/65 rear sizes were introduced in 2018, followed by the SCX supersoft compound in 2019 and the SCQ extrasoft compound in 2022. From 2020, every class ran on slicks.

Across those 23 seasons, Pirelli's role grew into a proactive partnership supporting the championship's development, producing close relationships first with Infront and later with Dorna that extended to marketing and communication. Initiatives originally conceived for Pirelli's guests were gradually opened to the entire paddock, making the championship more attractive for supporters and a wider audience.

The 2026 season underlined that approach, with Pirelli offering riders 17 front and rear solutions combining standard range products with development specifications. The effort brought constant performance gains and fresh milestones, including 10 all-time lap records and 11 race lap records alongside significant race distance improvements. The journey spanned from James Toseland, the first world champion of the Pirelli era in 2004 aboard the Ducati 999 F04, to Nicolò Bulega, who dominated 2026 on the Ducati Panigale V4 R with wins in 36 races. As this chapter closes, the accumulated knowledge will continue to drive Pirelli's tyre development and its commitment to the highest racing levels.

Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli Motorcycle Racing Director, said, “We have developed racing and road tyres for more than two decades. Although our journey in WorldSBK is coming to an end, we will continue to innovate our racing products to boost on-the-road technology and performance. For more than two decades, we turned WorldSBK into an innovation lab and helped organisers, the federation, manufacturers and teams in its evolution. By constantly creating and fine-tuning new compounds, structures and solutions, we have boosted performance and set new records year after year while also generating technology and expertise that went on to be transferred to road tyres. We pursued this quest right through the final season, and it does not end here: the experience gained in WorldSBK will continue to drive Pirelli's leading edge both in motorsport and on the road.

“Despite operating under a single-tyre supplier system and always providing competitive products, our goal has consistently been to improve our game, year after year, by offering state-of-the-art products while paying extremely close attention to market demands. This was especially true in the early years, when end users wanted and needed a pure racing product they could use on the track. We recognised that need, by continuing to develop increasingly better products, and, most of all, by introducing new race-to-road sizes, which became the new benchmark for the sports motorcycles on the market.”

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