TOKYO (Dec. 8)—Bridgestone Corp. will hike prices starting Jan. 1 for Bridgestone- and Firestone-brand radial and bias tires it exports from Japan to Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the former-Soviet republics of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The increases will compensate for the rising cost of petrochemical materials, such as synthetic rubber and carbon black, and of other raw materials, such as steel cord, Bridgestone said.
The price hikes will range from 5 to 10 percent for passenger, light truck, truck and bus tires, and up to 10 percent or more on tires for construction and mining vehicles. The increases will vary by product and by market and be implemented in stages, the company said.