The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued 24 new tire plant identity codes — necessary for selling road-going tires in the U.S. — during 2013, double that of 2012 and more in line with the average for the previous several years.

Fourteen of the new codes are for plants in China and four are for factories in India, while the other six are for six different countries, including Continental Tire the Americas L.L.C.'s plant in Sumter, S.C. (VY), which started production late last year.

Bridgestone Corp. was issued codes for plants in India (W9) and Vietnam (1T), while Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd., Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd. and Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. were issued codes for plants in Thailand (VA), Malaysia (CM) and India (YM), respectively.

The new codes, and the corresponding plants, are:

Code — Company/Location

1P — Shandong Haohua Tire Co. Ltd., Shouguang, China

1T — Bridgestone Tire Manufacturing Vietnam L.L.C., Hai Phong City, Vietnam.

7B — Shandong Longyue Rubber Co. Ltd., Heze City, China

CM — Toyo Tyre Manufacturing (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Taiping, Malaysia

DE — Jiangsu Roc Tyres Co. Ltd., Xuzhou, China

NP — I-Greatest Rubber Ind. Co. Ltd., Mexico City, Mexico

LH — Speedways Rubber Co., Jalandhar, India

M1 — Laoling Vheal Rubber Co. Ltd., Laoling City, China

NH — Qingdao Huasheng Rubber Co. Ltd., Pingdu, Qingdao, China

NU — Qingdao Honghua Tyre Factory, Qingdao City, China

PD — Xinjiang Kunlun Engineering Tyre Co. Ltd., Korle City, China

R1 — Dezhou Linglong Tyre Co. Ltd., Dezhou, China

RP — Taizhou Taiyangfeng Rubber Co. Ltd., Xianju County, China

VA — Sumitomo Rubber (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Amphur Pluakdaeng, Rayong, Thailand

VD — Qingdao Hongchi Tyre Co. Ltd., Pingdu, Qingdao, China

VY — Continental Tire the Americas L.L.C., Sumter, S.C.

V8 — Michelin India Tamil Nadu Tyres Pvt. Ltd., Gummidipoondi Taluk, Tiruvallur, India.

W7 — Jiangsu Chengtong Tire Co. Ltd., Xuzhou, China

W9 — Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd., Pune, Maharashtra, India

Y3 — Shandong Goodtyre Rubber Co. Ltd., Dezhou, China

YM — Yokohama India Pvt. Ltd./Bahadurgarh Plant, District Jhajjar, India

YN — Aung Htet Myet Co. Ltd., Yangon, Myanmar,

YP — Hangzhou Shunyuan Tire Manufacture Co. Ltd., Hangzhou, China.

YV — Longkou Yongan Vehicle Window Co. Ltd., Longkou City, China.

Source: tirebusiness.com