Yokohama has announced that it will build a passenger car tyre plant in Mexico to strengthen its capacity to supply tyres to the North American market. The new plant will have an annual production capacity of 5 million tyres, with planned capital investment totalling US$380 million (approx. ¥52.1 billion). Construction of the new plant will start in the second quarter of 2024, and production is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2027. The new plant will be built on a site with a total area of about 610,000 square metres, which will be able to accommodate future expansion.
The company recognises that the plant will be indispensible in rapidly meeting the expected increased demand for tyres in the North American market. The new plant will be located in the Mexican state of Coahuila and will have access to a major railway line and expressway that will facilitate the supply of tyres to customers throughout North America.
The consumer tyre strategy in Yokohama’s new three-year (2024–2026) medium-term management plan, Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026), aims to maximise the sales ratios of high-value-added tyres by expanding sales of Yokohama’s global flagship Advan brand, the Geolandar brand of tyres for SUVs and pickup trucks, winter tyres, and 18-inch and larger tyres. It also will continue its “Product and Regional Strategies” focused on strengthening the development, supply, and sales of tyres that respond to specific trends in each regional market.
