Recently, the German union IGBCE called on the federal government to take action to protect the domestic tire industry. The union pointed out that the German tire industry is a high-tech sector but has faced challenges in recent years, including factory closures and job losses. One of the contributing factors is the influx of low-cost tires from China.
Currently, Germany has 12 tire factories, and 4 of them are expected to close in the coming years, resulting in the loss of 3,300 jobs.
To address these challenges, IGBCE has proposed a series of measures for the government.
First, the union advocates for the extension and expansion of anti-dumping duties on Chinese truck tire imports to curb unfair competition. Second, IGBCE calls for increased investment in the industry to support the research, development, and production of the next generation of tires, thereby enhancing product competitiveness. Third, the union suggests strengthening cooperation between the tire industry and automotive and truck manufacturing hubs to jointly improve product quality and production efficiency.
IGBCE emphasized that these measures aim to maintain a fair competitive environment in the German tire market and would also help enhance the international reputation and market position of German tires.
