Raw material costs—You ain't seen nothin' yet, expert says Price-tracking firm intros Tire Index to aid negotiations between tire and auto makers

摘要

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C.—Despite record high levels, raw material costs for tire manufacturing still haven't peaked and probably won't till next year, according to Bill Hyde, director-C4 olefins and elastomers at Chemical Market Associates Inc. (GMAI). "You can expect raw materials (prices) to increase this year and next," Mr. Hyde told attendees at the Clemson University Tire Industry Conference. "Then there will be a bit of a decline in 2013, back roughly to where we are today."