Yokohama: Another rubber giant has resumed production in Russia. It is possible? – The truth

Some foreign companies seem to be taking the war in Ukraine lightly. After solving the logistical problems, they are resuming production in Russia. Most recently, Japan’s Yokohama. How do the companies that left this country despite brutal losses probably view these activities? Photo: Yokohama Yokohama – production in Russia Yokohama opened the Russian plant in Lipeck in 2012. It has a capacity of 1.8 million tires per year. After stopping production in March, the company started up again at the beginning of August Is it solidarity? If Chinese companies use the relaxed Russian market for expansion, no one will be surprised. Although China does not agree with Russian aggression in Ukraine, it also refused to impose sanctions on Russia, as Europe and the USA did. However, it is different if we learn that large companies from that side of the world, which have unequivocally condemned Russia for its military invasion, plan to continue doing business in Russia. For example, the German Continental in Kaluga recently started its tire production lines after a long pause. Since August, it has again been producing personal tires for the local market under the brands Continental, Gislaved and Matador. Well, now another rubber giant has joined – Japan’s Yokohama. Read more Disaster: This is what car warehouses look like in Russia. You will not find cars in them The lines of the plant in Lipeck, which is 87% owned by Yokohama Rubber and the rest is owned by Itochu Corporation, and which has been in operation since 2012, stopped in March due to a lack of raw materials, especially rubber. However, he managed to replace them with new sources over time, and so Yokohama announced that it is restarting tire production in Russia. It actually started at the beginning of the summer, but the plant was only running at 20% capacity. It wasn’t until August 11 that the lines were fully operational and all 760 employees, who had received two-thirds of their wages until then, returned to work. Due to the sanctions, the tires will be supplied exclusively to the domestic market. Read more Lada Vesta: The pre-war version is sold at Volkswagen prices! Who knows how the competition views these activities. For example, Michelin, Bridgestone, Pirelli and many others, which decided to end Russian activities despite huge losses. And we are not talking about car companies, such as Renault, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Skoda or BMW, which not only sold but also produced in Russia. Most recently, we learn from Russian sources that the Finnish Nokian has a similar intention, which wants to resume tire production in Russia, although not under its own brand. However, it is behavior that smacks of alibism. If Western companies learn to circumvent sanctions in this way, they will at the same time relativize Russian aggression towards Ukraine. Read more Continental manufactures in Russia again. Is it solidarity?