Ikon Tyres: Manufacturers need protection from Chinese dumping
The most serious problem for the Russian tire industry now is the growth of Chinese imports in the absence of protective measures from the state, said the head of Ikon Tyres, Andrey Pantiukhov, in an interview with Kommersant.
"We talk about this a lot with government agencies, but so far, we are not getting the tangible support that local producers should be counting on, in my opinion. There are many reasons for this, but the fact remains," he said.
According to Pantiukhov, last year the capacity of the Russian market for passenger tires was around 50 million units, while 19 million tires were imported from China, and from 2019 to 2024, the share of Chinese brands increased from 11% to 35%.
"This is now a big problem, and it is primarily due to the fact that tires are being supplied at very low prices. We believe this is dumping and a violation of fair competition. All this, of course, strongly hinders Russian manufacturers," he noted.
Pantiukhov added that the consequences of Chinese expansion for Ikon Tyres are less than for other manufacturers, since the plant operates in higher price segments, but "for other manufacturers - Cordiant, Kama Tyres, which are represented in the same budget segment, [the growth of Chinese tire imports at low prices] interferes very strongly".
According to Ikon's estimates, there are currently around 200 Chinese tire brands in Russia. "Just think about it: 19 million tires and 200 brands," Pantiukhov said.
Regarding protection against dumping, Pantiukhov noted that certain mechanisms exist in the legislation of the Russian Federation and the EAEU. "We are working on this now, and we will come up with new proposals to the government and the EEC, so that protective measures can be taken," the Ikon CEO said.
Pantiukhov also expressed the opinion that "first and foremost, we need to think about local producers, not give complete freedom to work in our markets. Especially since there are no restrictions: neither at the level of certification nor at the level of regulatory policy".
According to him, currently in Russia, tires that have passed tests according to European standards in an accredited laboratory in any country in the world can be sold, and before entering the Russian market, no additional tests are conducted, while in China, there is a national certification - China Compulsory Certification (CCC). "On each tire that is imported, there must be a corresponding mark with the certificate number," Pantiukhov points out. "If this is not present, then the tire cannot enter the territory of China at all. That is, we cannot supply there freely, but they can to Russia - please. Where is the logic? I do not understand".
The head of Ikon added that in the current situation on the Russian tire market, "everything is fine" for Chinese suppliers. "I also understand the logic of our government agencies, but for us, all Russian manufacturers, it does not get any easier," he said. "We are in constant contact with the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Everyone knows about the problem, the question is that there is no solution yet".
Photo: Ikon Tyres