Falken: Prepare for Jan. 1 price increases

Dec. 14, 2011

Beginning Jan. 1, 2012, Falken and Ohtsu brand passenger and light truck tires will cost dealers up to 5% more.

There also will be some inline adjustments, which were "prompted by the price volatility in the market and our desire to align with it," says Andrew Hoit, vice president of marketing for Falken Tire Corp.

In a letter to Falken's customers, Hoit wrote that the company "will continue to do everything we can to decrease the effect of these escalating costs on your business, while still providing best in class service."

"All backorders will be canceled on Jan. 31, 2012, and, with your approval, be re-entered according to the aforementioned Jan. 1, 2012, schedule."

Falken is the latest tire manufacturer to either 1) announce a price increase in the next two months, or 2) have implemented a price increase since Sept. 1.

Consumer

* Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. raisee consumer tire prices up to 5% beginning with shipments on Dec. 1. The increases will affect all Cooper, Mastercraft, Dean, Starfire and private brand passenger and light truck tires, with some in-line adjustments.

* Kumho Tire U.S.A. Inc. raised  prices by up to 8% on Nov. 1. The hikes applied to Kumho passenger, light truck and commercial tires sold in the U.S.

* Yokohama Tire Corp. increased prices by up to 8% on all of its consumer tires sold in the United States effective Nov. 1.

* Hankook Tire America Corp. adjusted prices on its consumer tire lines effective Sept. 1. Ultra-high performance tire prices were raised, while touring tire prices were dropped.

* Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. raised prices on all its replacement consumer tires in the U.S. and Canada, up to 5%, effective Oct. 1 (it included associate and private brands).

* Continental Tire the Americas LLC increased prices up to 8.5% (with some in-line adjustments) on all Continental, General and proprietary brand passenger and light truck tires in the United States on Nov. 1.

* Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC raised prices on passenger and light truck replacement and original equipment tires in the U.S. and Canada effective Nov. 1. Prices for Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires were raised up to 8%.

 * Michelin North America raised prices on Michelin, BFGoodrich, Uniroyal, and private and associate passenger and light truck replacement tires sold in the U.S. up to 9% effective Oct. 3.

Commercial

* Yokohama will raise prices on its OTR tires up to 15% effective Jan. 1, 2012. The company cited  "global supply pressures and elevated manufacturing and transportation costs" as the reasons for the increases.

* Bridgestone Americas Commercial Solutions (BACS), a business unit of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC, also will raise base prices on its OTR tires effective Jan. 1, 2012.

The 15% price increase will apply to Bridgestone, Firestone and Continuum off-road tire products and Continuum pre-cure tread rubber and related retreading materials.

* Hankook Tire America Corp. raised prices by up to 8% on its line of commercial tires in the U.S. The amount of the increase, which varied by product and size, went into effect on Nov. 1.

* Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. increased prices on all its brands of commercial tires, retreads and tread rubber in the U.S. by up to 10% effective Nov. 1.

* Falken Tire Corp. increased prices on Ohtsu and Falken-branded truck and bus radial (TBR) lines by up to 8% on Nov. 1.

* Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. raised prices up to 8% on all its replacement tire brands, retreaded tires and tread rubber on Sept. 1.

* Bridgestone Commercial Solutions raised prices on its radial truck and bus tires up to 8% on Sept. 12, 2011. The price increases applied to Bridgestone and Firestone brands in the U.S. and Canada. Bridgestone also raised prices on OTR tread rubber and Bandag brand retread materials -- including tread rubber, cushion, cement, solvents and envelopes -- by an average of 8%.

* Yokohama implemented a price increase of up to 8% on all of its light and medium commercial truck tires in the U.S., effective Oct. 1. The tire maker also implemented a price increase of up to 11% on all of its OTR tires in the U.S., effective Sept. 1.

* Michelin North America Inc. raised prices on replacement truck tires and retreads, by an average of 8% effective Oct. 3. Michelin, BFGoodrich, Michelin Retread Technologies and Oliver brands sold in the U.S. will be affected. Michelin-brand replacement agricultural and compact line tires sold in the U.S. and Canada will rise up to 6% effective Nov. 1.

* Eurotire Inc. increased prices by up to 9.8% on all its OTR bias tires, an increase of up to 11.5% on all its OTR radial tires globally, effective Sept. 5.

* Michelin increased prices between 5-13% on Michelin brand replacement earthmover tires in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, effective Sept. 1.

* Titan International Inc. soon will raise farm tire prices for the third time this year. Titan and Goodyear brand tire prices will be raised up to 8%.

Canada only

* Bridgestone Americas will raise base prices effective Jan. 1, 2012. The 10% price increase will apply to Bridgestone, Firestone and Continuum off-road tire products and Continuum pre-cure tread rubber and related retreading materials.

* Pirelli Tire Inc. will raise prices by up to 7% on all of its consumer tires in Canada effective Dec. 1, 2011.

* Toyo Tire Canada Inc. will increase prices on Toyo passenger and light truck tires up to 5% effective Dec. 1. Toyo says that certain select sizes may not be subjected to the increases.

* Continental Tire Canada Inc. raised consumer tire prices up to 7% effective Nov. 15.

* Michelin North America (Canada) Inc. announced two price increases. On Oct. 1, Michelin and BFGoodrich replacement truck tires were raised by an average of 6.5%. On Nov. 1, Michelin, BFGoodrich, Uniroyal and associate brand replacement passenger and light truck tires (excluding winter tires) will be raised by an average of 4%.