On a highway in the early hours, the right rear tire of a medium-sized truck fully loaded with over 20 tons of corn suddenly blew out. The driver braked urgently but couldn't control the direction, and the vehicle overturned between the emergency lane and the main lane, scattering golden corn kernels all over the road surface.
A similar hazard was found in Emeishan City, where a "100-ton king" heavy dump truck with a total weight of 112.34 tons was intercepted by law enforcement officers. Its overload rate reached a staggering 212%, with the body severely sunk and tires deformed from excessive pressure.

Meanwhile, in Colombia, a new anti-dumping investigation into new rubber tires for buses or trucks from China has just commenced, signaling profound changes in the global tire market competition.

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01 Overloading Pain: A Major Threat to Road Safety

Since November, tire-related safety incidents involving trucks have been reported nationwide, drawing widespread industry attention to tire safety.

In Weifang, Shandong, a truck, due to improperly secured cargo, spilled a large number of nails along the road, resulting in punctured tires for approximately forty to fifty following trucks, severely impacting road traffic efficiency and safety.

Such incidents not only cause transportation delays but also impose unnecessary economic losses on vehicle owners.

As the only component of a truck making contact with the road surface, the health condition of tires is directly related to road traffic safety.

Traffic management authorities point out that illegal overloaded trucks significantly shorten tire lifespan and are highly prone to blowouts.

The centrifugal force of an overloaded truck in motion is far higher than that of a normal truck, easily leading to rollovers and posing serious threats to both the driver and other road users.

02 Technological Innovation: Electric Commercial Vehicle Tires Break Through the "Three Highs" Dilemma

Confronting the technical challenges in the tire industry, Chinese tire companies are actively seeking breakthroughs.

In July this year, Zhongce Rubber globally launched the groundbreaking "X Technology System" and dedicated tires for electric commercial vehicles.

This technological revolution addresses industry challenges arising from two unique characteristics of electric commercial vehicles: "instant high torque" and "significant weight increase."

Due to the instantaneous high torque output of electric motors and the approximately 25% weight increase from battery load, traditional tires frequently fall into a new "three highs" dilemma: "high wear, high failure, and high irregular wear".

Data shared by Mr. Zhang Chunsheng, Director of the All-Steel Technology Research Institute at Zhongce Rubber, shows that the abnormal wear rate for electric commercial vehicle tires reaches 30%, wear resistance decreases by 30%, and bead failure incidence is as high as 50%.

The successful development of the X Technology System marks Chinese tire material research reaching internationally advanced levels.

This system comprises three core technologies: X Carbon Extreme Technology, X-Xuanjia Technology, and X-Art Technology.

Among them, X Carbon Extreme Technology, as a globally pioneering reinforced composite material, increases tire wear resistance by 50%, reduces river pattern wear by 80%, decreases bead failure rate by 50%, and reduces shoulder wear by 60%.

03 Market Dynamics: Growing Demand Amid Trade Barriers

According to the latest industry data, China's commercial vehicle production and sales from January to May 2025 reached 1.746 million and 1.753 million units, respectively, representing year-on-year increases of 4.2% and 1.2%.

Driven by policies like new energy vehicle purchase subsidies, commercial vehicle production and sales maintain stable growth.

The export market also shows strong performance. From January to April 2025, cumulative exports of truck and bus tires reached 1.4897 million tons, a cumulative year-on-year increase of 6.45%, hitting a five-year high.

An analysis report from Huatai Securities indicates that the heavy-duty truck sector may continue its upward trend in the second half of 2025, with annual sales expected to exceed one million units, reaching 1.02 million, a 13% year-on-year increase.

Chinese tire companies are expanding overseas at an opportune time, with domestic brands offering significant price-performance advantages—tires of the same specification are typically 30%-50% cheaper overseas.

However, behind the booming market, trade frictions are intensifying.

On October 21, 2025, the Colombian Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Tourism announced the initiation of an anti-dumping investigation into new rubber tires for buses or trucks originating from China, following an application by Goodyear Colombia S.A..

This is not the first time Chinese tire companies have faced such investigations, reflecting the intense competition in the international market.

04 Corporate Strategy: Dual Attributes Navigate Industry Reshuffle

Amid changes in the international trade environment, leading Chinese tire companies are adjusting their development strategies.

Industry experts suggest that trade friction might not necessarily weaken but could instead strengthen the core competitiveness of leading enterprises and accelerate industry consolidation.

On one hand, Chinese tire companies possess cost advantages, granting them stronger price transmission and absorption capabilities.

On the other hand, companies with布局 in "non-involved" overseas bases can better circumvent the impact of trade barriers.

Huatai Securities research reports recommend focusing on leading tire companies with dual attributes: "benefiting from domestic heavy-duty truck demand" and possessing "large production capacity in non-involved bases," such as Sailun Tire and Sentury Tire.

These enterprises can both enjoy the growth dividends from the domestic heavy-duty truck market recovery and maintain competitiveness amidst international trade frictions.

In the short term, tire companies' profit elasticity is being released.

On the demand side, the domestic heavy-duty truck market recovery and potential preemptive exports due to the EU's "double counter" investigations exist; on the cost side, prices of bulk commodities like natural rubber and synthetic rubber have continued to fall since late 2024.

These two factors jointly drive the release of profit elasticity for tire enterprises.

05 Future Outlook: Green and Intelligent Technologies Lead the Way

With the rapid development of new energy commercial vehicles, the tire industry is ushering in a new wave of technological revolution.

The current penetration rate of electric commercial vehicles has reached 27% and continues to rise. Leveraging three major advantages—environmental protection, cost, and policy support—China's commercial vehicle sector has entered the era of electric drive.

Mr. Shen Jinrong, Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman, and General Manager of Zhongce Rubber Group, pointed out that the new energy revolution is reshaping the automotive industry landscape, and the development of electric commercial vehicles imposes unprecedented stringent requirements on tire performance.

Mr. Fan Xianjun, CEO of Farizon New Energy Commercial Vehicle Group, revealed that Farizon maintained its top market share in the first half of 2025, achieving 38 consecutive months of sales championship in new energy commercial vehicles.

As the first brand globally to achieve the milestone of 400,000 new energy commercial vehicles, Farizon's deep cooperation with supply chain partners like Zhongce Rubber demonstrates the competitiveness of Chinese companies in the new energy赛道.

Ms. Xu Wenying, President of the China Rubber Industry Association, expressed expectations for the industry: continue increasing R&D investment and product innovation, strengthen strategic cooperation and coordination within the upstream and downstream industrial chain, and further deepen globalization strategies while cultivating global talents.

Against the backdrop of global consensus on green and low-carbon development, technological innovation in the tire industry will become a significant force driving energy conservation and emissions reduction in the transportation sector.

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From scattered nails in Weifang, Shandong, to the intercepted "100-ton king" in Emeishan City; from tire blowout accidents on Xinjiang highways to anti-dumping investigations in Colombia—the world of truck tires is far more complex and volatile than we often imagine.

Meanwhile, the electric commercial vehicle tires launched in Chengdu resemble a thunderclap, heralding the arrival of a technological revolution.

As Zhongce Rubber Group Chairman Shen Jinrong stated, "The new energy revolution is reshaping the automotive industry landscape".

As heavy-duty trucks head into the new year driven by the "replace old vehicles with new ones" policy, and as Chinese tire companies navigate the global market, a clear trajectory is emerging—the resilience of tires not only concerns road safety but also determines the new position of Chinese manufacturing within the global industrial chain pattern.