A look at tire makers in, around Ukraine, Russia

According to Rubber News data from Tire Business, there are seven international tire makers with operations in Russia, Nokian Tyres P.L.C., Continental and Michelin among them.

The Finnish tire maker was the first to prepare for potential disruptions to Russian operations and supply chains and had enacted a plan to move production from Russia to plants in Finland and the U.S. The move was intended to bring some production closer to customers.

Since Nokian, other tire makers have followed suit. Continental is altering production and business at both its tire and ContiTech operations in Russia. Michelin said it would have to disrupt some production in Europe. 

Others tire makers in Russia are: Bridgestone, Pirelli, Titan International and Yokohama Rubber, along with some domestic tire makers.

In all, there are more than 45 total plants in Russia, Ukraine and the surrounding countries (Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic and Ukraine.) Major tire makers in these regions include: Bridgestone, Continental, Michelin, Apollo, Cooper Tire (now part of Goodyear), Hankook, Mitas, Nexen, Pirelli and Yokohama, according to data generated by Tire Business.

In addition to Russia, Continental has plants in Romania and the Slovak Republic, while Michelin maintains operations in Hungary, Poland and Romania. 

Tire Business, which provides Rubber News with plant listing data that appears in print and online, notes that Bridgestone also operates in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.

Nexen and Mitas both have plants in the Czech Republic, while Apollo, Bridgestone, Michelin and Hankook operate in the Czech Republic, Tire Business reported in the Global Tire Report it produces annually.

A majority of tire makers in the region are domestic. A complete listing can be found in the March 7, 2022, digital edition of Rubber News.

A complete listing of tire plants worldwide is available in the Rubber News data store.