Tiremakers Offset US Tariff Through European Sales

Korea’s major tiremakers are on course to overcome tariff challenges from the United States by expanding sales of value-added tires in Europe.

The three major tire manufacturers here — Hankook, Nexen and Kumho — were exposed to the prolonged 25 percent U.S. tariff shock for almost half a year beginning in April last year.

The tire firms, however, showed resilience in their 2025 earnings on their expanded sales in Europe. They succeeded in navigating the tariff headwind by widening sales for high-inch and electric vehicle (EV) tires, particularly for European clients, according to their earnings data.

Hankook Tire surprised the market by chalking up record annual sales…

Source: Korea Times