São Paulo – Brazilian rubber manufacturer Vipal, a world benchmark in tyre retreading, counts Arab countries among the main destinations for its exports, which are shipped from its headquarters in Brazil or its operations in Europe. Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Jordan are some of the destinations for its tire repair materials and pre-cured treads, which are the two top products exported to the Arab world.
Leandro Rigon, director of international business at Vipal Rubber, says the company also exported to Kuwait and, until recently, to Sudan. Sales to the African country were halted due to the conflict, but exports to some Arab countries have continued for over 25 years.
Exports represent between 20% and 25% of the company’s business, though the Brazilian market remains its largest customer. According to data from the Brazilian Tire Retreading Association (ABR) he cited, Brazil is the second-largest tire retreading market in the world, behind only the United States.
“Even though our presence in Arab countries is strong through long-standing partner clients and Vipal is one of the main suppliers in the region, it represents a smaller share of the company’s business, as the local tire retreading market is still small compared to the rest of the world,” he says.
Vipal produces various rubber lines
Rigon says the company is among the world’s largest manufacturers of rubber for tire retreading, a segment that, according to him, contributes to environmental preservation and reduces costs in the freight transport sector. “Reusing tire carcasses, preventing their premature disposal, ensures immeasurable care for the environment,” he says.
He says a retreaded tire can have a mileage performance even greater than that of a new tire, as long as both the materials used in the retreading process and the tire itself are of good quality. “Without this option, investing in a low-quality new tire would result in higher costs in the medium and long term. Tire retreading can reduce the overall cost of tires, which is a tremendous competitive advantage for the transport sector, as tires are typically the third highest cost in freight transport,” he says.
All types of tires can be retreaded: car tires, giant truck tires used in mining, agricultural, industrial, competition, and airplane tires, where landing gear tires are retreaded multiple times due to the high cost of new products. Vipal’s main market is commercial truck and bus tires, and this trend is reflected in sales to Arab countries.
“To Sudan and Arab countries, Vipal exports its tire repair materials and pre-cured treads, with the majority (over 90%) being used on truck tires. However, they are also used on cars, agricultural machines, and mining equipment,” he says.
The company also produces rubber for footwear, motorcycle tires, and tire retreading machinery. Its administrative headquarters is located in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, where the company also has industrial units, as well as in Bahia, Minas Gerais, Argentina, and the US. The company also exports to clients in Oceania, the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda