Yokohama Rubber posted record-high business and financial results for the first nine months of fiscal 2024, driven by substantial revenue and profitability growth across its key business segments.
The company reported a 13.1 percent increase in sales revenue from the same period last year, reaching USD 5022 million. Business profit rose 69.6 percent to USD 535 million, operating profit increased 63.8 percent to USD 551 million, and profit attributable to the parent company’s owners climbed 36.5 percent to USD 390 million.
The Group’s business profit margin also reached 10.7 percent, its highest level ever for this time frame.
Yokohama Rubber attributed this robust growth to efforts to expand sales volume, implement product price increases and optimise the product mix. A full-year contribution from Y-TWS and the positive impact of yen depreciation further supported the performance.
Segment Results
Tyre Business: Sales in the tyre segment reached USD 4498 million, a significant increase from USD 3931 million in the same period last year. Business profit for the segment surged to USD 505 million, up from USD 287 million. Growth was driven by higher sales volume, favourable product mix and effective price increases in response to raw material costs.
Yokohama Off-Highway Tires (YOHT: YOHT recorded sales of USD 684 million, up from USD 632 million in 2023, while business profit rose to USD 81.45 million, compared to USD 76.3 million the previous year. The segment benefited from strong demand in the agricultural and industrial tyre markets, particularly in overseas markets.
Yokohama Tire & Wheel Solutions (Y-TWS): Sales in Y-TWS totaled USD 737 million, a substantial increase from USD 432 million in 2023. Business profit came in at USD 46.81 million, reversing a loss of USD 7.05 in the prior year. The improvement reflects strong sales of speciality tyres and positive impacts from structural changes and efficiency improvements.
Yokohama Rubber’s CEO emphasised the company’s ongoing focus on strategic growth initiatives, including high-margin products and global market expansion. The results underscore Yokohama Rubber’s resilience and adaptability in a challenging economic environment.
Triangle Tyre Earns Second Consecutive EcoVadis Gold Rating
- By TT News
- September 23, 2026
Triangle Tyre has secured the EcoVadis Gold Rating once more, posting an overall score of 85 that places it within the top 5 percent of assessed companies globally. The company had initially received the Gold Rating in 2025 during its first participation in the assessment, making history as the first Chinese tyre manufacturer to attain that distinction. This repeat recognition cements Triangle Tyre’s standing as a frontrunner in sustainable development within China’s tyre sector.
The EcoVadis platform stands among the most widely acknowledged corporate sustainability assessment systems worldwide, with results frequently guiding multinational corporations in supplier selection. Its evaluations span over 180 countries and more than 150,000 companies. The methodology examines four dimensions: environmental performance, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. A gold rating signals globally leading sustainability performance among assessed firms.
Triangle Tyre’s environmental efforts centre on expanding its green manufacturing framework through its national-level green factory platform. The company has adopted low-carbon processes including intelligent vulcanisation, accelerated low rolling resistance tire development and increased use of recycled and bio-based materials to reduce lifecycle environmental impact. A digital energy management platform supports ongoing energy conservation and carbon reduction, efforts that earned recognition as an Energy Efficiency Leader in key industries from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
Regarding labour and human rights, the company’s Caring for People culture protects employee rights through diversified development and care mechanisms, occupational health and safety systems and closed-loop hazard management. Comprehensive training and career pathways support employee growth, yielding consecutive Top Employer honours. On ethics, all employees receive business ethics and anti-corruption training, with ISO 37001 certification across the company and subsidiaries, a Business Conduct Supervision Committee, confidential reporting channels and regular compliance programs. Sustainable procurement involves strengthening upstream raw material management, advancing natural rubber traceability and conducting supply chain ESG assessments.
As a UN Global Compact member with two consecutive sustainability reports, the renewed Gold Rating validates Triangle Tyre’s achievements and bolsters international credibility for overseas expansion and green trade barrier navigation.
Hankook Tire Successfully Wraps Up IAA Transportation 2026, Debuts Winter And Trailer Tyres
- By TT News
- September 23, 2026
Hankook Tire wrapped up its showing at IAA Transportation 2026, the commercial vehicle industry’s largest global expo, held in Hannover, Germany, from 15 to 20 September. The company used the event to introduce three new tyres.
The debut lineup included the Smart Control AW53 and DW53 winter tyres, plus the Smart Flex TH51 trailer tyre for regional and long-haul use. All three rely on SMARTEC, Hankook’s advanced truck and bus radial technology system, which targets safety, mileage, chip and cut resistance, retreadability and braking.
The AW53 and DW53 are built for steer and drive axles respectively, delivering grip and braking on snow and ice. Testing at Hankook’s Ivalo proving ground in Finland showed gains in snow braking, acceleration and handling over the prior generation. Hidden Groove technology sustains performance as tread wears and extends tire life by as much as 15 percent.
The TH51 pursues high mileage and low rolling resistance, with zigzag grooves and drainage channels for water evacuation. Its Hidden Groove design, made possible by 3D-printed tread moulds, preserves grip to the end of service. Hankook also displayed Smart Line, e-SMART City, the Laufenn LF95+, Alphatread and Smart Fleet while continuing its presence at European events such as the Road Transport Expo, Transport Logistic and The Tire Cologne.
Continental Adds Conti Eco HT 5 Trailer Tyre To Fifth-Generation Range
- By TT News
- September 22, 2026
Continental has expanded its fifth-generation Conti Eco range for freight transport with the Conti Eco HT 5, a trailer tyre that joins the Conti Eco HS 5 steer and Conti Eco HD 5 drive products. The trio forms a coordinated package aimed at cutting operating costs, sustaining high mileage and lowering rolling resistance to support better fuel economy. Although trailer axles are not driven, their tyres still shape how efficiently a rig moves. By targeting that axle, Continental extends the Generation 5 advantages across the full vehicle combination for regional and long-haul duty. Less resistance at the trailer can translate into reduced fuel burn and, in turn, lower operational CO₂ output.
Because a trailer rolls on several tyres that never leave the road, those tyres directly affect stability, efficiency and day-to-day performance. In some configurations, they generate as much as half of a truck-trailer combination's total rolling resistance. Continental engineered the Conti Eco HT 5 to reconcile low rolling resistance with long tread life, encouraging uniform wear and dependable traction in a broad range of conditions. Optimised materials, a fresh sidewall design and advanced filler compounds underpin the tyre's fuel-saving characteristics.
Mileage and durability come from a new tread compound paired with a refined curing method, while a redesigned five-rib tread layout supports even wear, steady handling and consistent behaviour across shifting weather and road surfaces on both regional and long-distance routes. Tested against the Conti Hybrid HT3+, the Conti Eco HT 5 posted rolling resistance reductions of as much as 12 percent under specified conditions, offering fleets a path to lower fuel use, diminished CO₂ emissions and reduced tyre-related costs.
The Generation 5 Conti Eco portfolio sits within Continental's broader strategy of helping customers boost transport efficiency through technological innovation and tuned tyre performance. Uniting low rolling resistance, high mileage and long service life at every axle position, the range addresses industry pressures such as climbing fuel prices and stricter efficiency and emissions expectations. The Conti Eco HT 5 reaches the market in September 2026 in two sizes, 385/65 R 22.5 and 385/55 R 22.5.
Hinnerk Kaiser, responsible for the development of truck and bus tyres in the EMEA region at Continental, said, “Every tyre contributes to the efficiency and operating costs of a truck and trailer combination. While attention often focuses on the steer and drive axles, trailer tyres also play an important role in rolling resistance and fuel consumption. With the Conti Eco HT 5, we are extending the benefits of our fifth-generation Conti Eco portfolio to the trailer axle and helping fleets improve the efficiency of their transport operations. For the Conti Eco HT 5, our focus was on improving efficiency while maintaining durability. The combination of low rolling resistance, long service life and balanced wear characteristics can help fleets reduce tyre-related operating costs while maintaining reliable performance in demanding transport operations.”
Titan International Inks Definitive Agreement To Sell ITM Business To USCO
- By TT News
- September 22, 2026
Titan International, Inc. has reached a definitive agreement to divest its Italtractor ITM undercarriage business (ITM) to USCO S.p.A., marking a significant strategic shift for the global off-highway wheel, tyre and undercarriage manufacturer. The deal positions Titan to concentrate on its core operations while securing substantial cash value from the sale.
Under the agreement, Titan will receive an initial purchase price of USD 207 million, with the potential for an additional USD 6 million in earnout proceeds contingent on ITM meeting specified performance targets for 2026. Customary adjustments tied to ITM’s net asset and financial position at closing are expected to add approximately USD 23 million in cash value. Combined with USD 49 million in dividends from ITM – USD 38 million already received in recent years and USD 11 million anticipated before closing – Titan projects total cash value of up to approximately USD 285 million, inclusive of the earnout.
The transaction allows Titan to sharpen its focus on its global wheel and tire operations serving agricultural, construction and consumer markets. According to Chairman Maurice M Taylor, Jr, the potential sale of ITM was first discussed with the board over a decade ago when an offer below USD 100 million was presented. He credited President and CEO Paul Reitz and his team for their patience in completing a deal that he described as fair for Titan and beneficial for USCO, which gains a strong manufacturing business with a good brand and skilled workforce. Taylor also praised Cecilia La Manna for nearly 30 years of service and leadership, noting that USCO is acquiring a strong management team along with the business and plants.
Reitz characterised the transaction as an important step in Titan’s transformation, delivering strong value while providing ITM with an owner that understands the undercarriage sector. He said the deal enables Titan to direct people, capital and resources towards core wheel and tyre operations, pursue accretive growth opportunities and reduce debt. The move supports portfolio reshaping, accelerated strategic investments, transformative acquisitions and partnership, and long-term shareholder value.
As part of USCO, ITM will build on its position as a global provider of undercarriage components and complete solutions, with added focus and resources for long-term growth, customer service, product innovation and geographic expansion. ITM designs, manufactures and distributes undercarriage systems for construction, mining, forestry, road-building and agricultural applications through an international network and is a pioneer in undercarriage sensor technology, including its TRUST ITM monitoring solution.
Titan intends to use a portion of the proceeds to reduce existing debt and strengthen its balance sheet, with future capital deployment towards key growth investments, including accretive acquisitions and strategic partnerships. The transaction is expected to close in early January 2027, subject to customary closing conditions and required regulatory approvals, with both companies continuing ordinary operations until then. Gianni & Origoni and Poggi & Associati advised Titan and ITM on legal and tax matters, while USCO received assistance from Eidos Partners, Simmons+Simmons, BDO and KPMG.
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