Bridgestone cuts RI output

Bridgestone cuts RI output

TOKYO (Reuters): Bridgestone Corp. said yesterday it had cut tire output at its Thai and Indonesian units but increased exports from those units to other Southeast Asian countries.

The firm had lowered production at its Indonesia unit, which has a daily output capacity of 140 tonnes, and increased exports from there to other Asian countries, the spokesman said without giving details.

In Asia, Bridgestone has tire plants in Indonesia, Thailand and Taiwan.

Its Thai unit, which has a production capacity of 185 tonnes of tires a day, had cut its utilization rate to about 60-70 percent due to Thailand's economic woes, a Bridgestone spokesman said.

But the unit raised its tire exports to Asian countries to help maintain production levels.

The Thai unit's exports accounted about 25 percent of its production against almost before the crisis, he said.

Bridgestone is considering exporting tires from Thailand to the United States, the spokesman said.