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The board of Apollo Tyres NL BV has submitted a Request for Advice to the Works Council regarding the intended decision to discontinue tire production and related activities at the plant in Enschede, The Netherlands, by the summer of 2026. All staff were informed accordingly in a town hall meeting.

This intended decision comes after thorough investigation and careful consideration, driven by the continued increase in costs for Apollo Tyres NL (ATNL) due to macroeconomic disruptions, steep increases in energy and labor costs, and a decline in demand for Spacemaster and Agri tires.

Yokohama Tire Corporation (YTC) announced it will implement a price increase of up to 10 percent on its consumer replacement tires and commercial truck tires sold in the U.S., effective May 1. According to YTC COO Stan Chandgie, the increase is in response to the “unparalleled rise in costs associated with materials and finished goods.”

Virdis Chemicals Ltd has been appointed as sole UK Distributor for the Intercure® range of elastomer crosslinking agents manufactured by the Milan based Interbusiness Group.  This is another significant step in Virdis’ growth and aligns with the company’s position as a supplier of high-quality products.

Virdis will add the Intercure® range to its comprehensive package of products for rubber and elastomer compounders, with a specific focus on fluoroelastomers (FKM), polyacrilic (ACM), ethylene-acrylic (AEM) and epichlorohydrin (ECO) elastomers.

Continental group sector Automotive presented its future name at Auto Shanghai. The independent automotive company will be named Aumovio. The name of the new company combines the strong market position, heritage and technological expertise in the automotive industry with the ambition to shape the mobility of the future with innovations. Aumovio will offer electronic products and advanced mobility solutions for the software-defined vehicle and safe, exciting, connected and autonomous mobility to a wide range of global customers.

The Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII) has unveiled a groundbreaking method to recover high-quality rubber from skim latex, a by-product of Centrifuged Latex (Cenex) production. This innovative process promises to transform the rubber industry by significantly improving efficiency and environmental sustainability.

Traditionally, recovering rubber from skim latex has been a time-consuming and resource-intensive process. However, RRII’s new method reduces the processing time to just 24 hours and eliminates the need for plastic sacks, making it a more eco-friendly option. The recovered rubber, branded as Indian Purified Skim Rubber (IPSR), boasts superior quality and lower costs, making it highly attractive to manufacturers.

AGC Chemicals Americas, Inc. (AGCCA) announces its Fluon+™ Compounds portfolio tailored for critical industrial applications. By compounding thermoplastic polymers with fillers such as glass, graphite, pigments and functional monomers, AGCCA enhances material properties to extend application reach, solve complex challenges and reduce life cycle costs and downtime.

Wilmington, DE – DuPont announced the 50th anniversary of Kalrez® perfluoroelastomer parts. Since the launch of the iconic brand, Kalrez®