Zhongce Rubber to open Thai plant soon

Pattaya, Thailand — China’s Zhongce Rubber Co. Ltd. will hold a ceremonial opening on June 29 of its newest factory, a car and light truck tire plant in Pattaya, with ZC Rubber Shen Jinrong hosting the event.

The factory, located in the Amata City Industrial Park in Rayong Province near the port city of Pattaya, opens with a first-phase annual capacity of 5 million tires, the company said earlier this year. Test production was scheduled to start in late May.

ZC Rubber said opening a plant in Thailand reflects its strategic policy of “overseas production, overseas sales." The company also noted that Thailand accounts for 70 percent of global natural rubber production, which should reduce the effect of that price change of rubber raw materials in the international market will have on ZC Rubber.

ZC Rubber said it has invited hundreds of distributors and customers from around the world to witness the ribbon-cutting.

ZC Rubber did not mention the pending import duties being levied by the US on Chinese tire makers. ZC Rubber was levied antidumping and countervailing duties of 89.77 and 30.87 percent, respectively, the highest levels.