China's Prices Undercut U.S. Tire Makers, Causing Plant Closings

Newhouse News ^ | 8/8/2006 | Thomas W. Gerdel

[Incorrigible]

I had always heard that importing low end tires was uneconomic since they take up so much room and didn't provide a significant margin.  Guess I heard wrong.

[Incorrigible]

Willie Green, wherever you are, please pick up the white courtesy phone.

[Hydroshock]

Free traitors strike the middle class again.

[1rudeboy]

We won't stop until the middle class swells even more!

[Publius6961]

This report is hard to believe.
I would no more put Chinese-manufactured tires on any of my cars than drive constantly over broken glass.

We're not talking inconvenience here, and saving $10 a tire.

This is literally a matter of life or death, and I do not know a single person I deal with who feels differently.

[Hydroshock]

More like swells the unemployment lines.

[1rudeboy]

All the way to 4.8%, baby!

[Publius6961]

Passenger tire production in the United States has fallen from 223 million tires in 2000 to 176 million in 2005, a drop of 21 percent, Ludwig said. The union is facing another round of plant shutdowns, due partly to the rising imports and a sluggish tire market.

Companies want to cut costs, while the union seeks to preserve wages and benefits, and prevent further erosion of production and jobs.

I reversed the order of these two statements to illustrate the connection between them.

Unions have not yet caught on that non-skilled jobs can no longer set the value of their own work. Those days are gone forever as are, increasingly, unions.
Work for what your labor is worth, look for another job or, horrors, educate yourself and upgrade your skills!

[Hydroshock]

From 4.6. With a economy that is starting to show real signs of slowing.

[1rudeboy]

I know, I know. The economy has been showing real signs of slowing since 2001.

[Moonman62]

Kumho tires get consistently good reviews and are about half the price of tires of comparable quality. I believe they are South Korean.

[mysterio]

Free traitors strike the middle class again.

You opened yourself up to it now. Expect 50+ replies about how lazy and evil those selfish, greedy Americans were for wanting to be paid decently and how great it will be now that a Chicom sweatshop can do the job.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Tires sold in the US must meet US DOT inspection. Check the tires on 18 wheelers and you'll find they're made in Thailand, S. Korea, etc. Many of our tire plants are quite old and use primitive tire making technology and, of course, they are high cost, unionized plants.

[Thunderchief F-105]

..........ever heard of a car called the "Geely"...?? do a Google search; you'll probably be quite (un)pleasantly surprised.... I think it all comes down to "the bottom line," and if these Chinese tires make the grade and prove themselves at least the equal to all of the other major tire brands we all have been used to seeing and using, they'll make significant inroads to the U.S. tire market. Hell; Firestone has been owned for quite a number of years now by Bridgestone, which is a Japanese company, if I recall.... a sign of the times.... it all comes down to cost controls........

[Hydroshock]

1rudeboy is aready on it.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Tires sold in the US must meet US DOT inspection. Check the tires on 18 wheelers and you'll find they're made in Thailand, S. Korea, etc. Many of our tire plants are quite old and use primitive tire making technology and, of course, they are high cost, unionized plants.

[1rudeboy]

I'm sure he thanks you for the warning, but I think he can handle it . . . unlike others. [hint]

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Free traitors strike the middle class again.

Gov't regulators, bureaucrats, IRS, envirowackos, etc. strike the middle class again and repeatedly

[1rudeboy]

You bet I am. Single-handedly (so far) keeping this thread from being overrun by statists.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Expect 50+ replies about how lazy and evil those selfish, greedy Americans were for wanting to be paid decently and how great it will be now that a Chicom sweatshop can do the job.

Why don't you blame politicians instead of the evil business and consumer.