Russia’s largest tyre manufacturer is set to enter the UK market this year, making its debut in May at the Brityrex International show.

A spokesman for the Sibur brand says: “Our goal for Brityrex International is to meet and discuss terms of cooperation with tyre retailers, wholesalers and other professionals from the UK tyre market. We are going to establish a long-term presence in Great Britain, so participation in the market’s main event is important to us.”

Sibur has four factories in the former communist state, where it produces 40% of the country’s tyres including models for cars, buses, trucks and bicycles. All comply with ISO 9001, the internationally recognized standard for the quality management of businesses.

Richard Edy, director of the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA), says: “The company will be entering a very buoyant UK market where they will be competing with more than 130 other brands. The only concern would be that they will compete in price rather than in quality, because the price of tyres has already been too low for too long.”

Last year Sibur opened a subsidiary office in Germany following a successful launch at the Reifen show in Essen. Sibur is now hoping to replicate this approach in the UK.