Latest market: Lubricant and tire prices have risen significantly
On April 8, 2025, Shell (China) Co., Ltd. issued a communication letter on the price adjustment of lubricant products. The company stated that since some Shell lubricant products and raw materials such as base oils and additives are imported from the United States, the cost of related products will be affected by this tariff change. Although the company is taking measures such as optimizing the supply chain to minimize the impact of this tariff policy change, it is still estimated that a certain proportion of products cannot be avoided. After careful consideration and evaluation, the company had to adjust the prices of related products.
Rubber prices bottomed out
In recent days, rubber prices have fallen rapidly. Entering April 2025, rubber prices have fallen all the way, falling below 15,000 yuan per ton, and directly bottomed out at 13,315 yuan per ton. The decline was so large, but on April 10, 2025, rubber prices bottomed out! In terms of the price of raw materials for tire production, the trade war has also stirred up the situation. The main raw material for tires is rubber, including natural rubber and synthetic rubber. The production of natural rubber is greatly affected by natural factors, while synthetic rubber is closely related to oil prices. The trade war has led to an unstable global economic situation, and oil prices have also fluctuated greatly. When oil prices rise, the production cost of synthetic rubber increases, which in turn drives up rubber prices.
Tire companies have stable orders
On April 10, 2024, the stocks of tire companies such as Linglong, Sailun, and Senqilin rose significantly. Linglong Tire said on the investor interaction platform on April 9 that the company's current orders are stable, semi-steel is in full production, and full steel has increased year-on-year. At present, the Serbia base and the Jilin base are both in the stage of gradually increasing production capacity. Among them, the production and sales rate of Serbia's full steel exceeded 95% as of March 25. The company has obtained the designated qualification for Audi's main tires, and the cooperation between the two parties is progressing steadily. Senqilin said on the investor interaction platform on April 9 that the company has currently formed a global production capacity "golden triangle" layout in China, Thailand, and Morocco. Among them, the Moroccan factory has a designed production capacity of 12 million per year (semi-steel tires), which will be put into large-scale production in 2025, with an estimated shipment of 6 million to 8 million semi-steel tires.
Tire prices will continue to rise
Affected by the trade war, the prices of raw materials and small materials used in the production of various tires are difficult to predict. As the prices of raw materials for tires rise, the prices of tires will also rise. Although the current tire prices are still affected by market competition, in the long run, what about the prices of tire products? The profits of current tire companies, whether domestic or foreign-funded, have been squeezed very low, so tire companies can only raise prices to survive! Coupled with Trump's 90-day tariff exemption for overseas factories, a large number of tires will find ways to go abroad. There is no need to worry about tire orders at this time. There will definitely not be enough to buy. If you can't seize this opportunity, then the next competition will be even more difficult. The price trend of various products in the entire market is rising, and tire products are no exception. Those who say that tire prices will fall can wait and see. I'm afraid that day will not come in a short time.
