Tire giant Michelin pulls out of Shanghai show

Shanghai, April 1 (Gasgoo.com) Global tire-making giant Michelin Group has decided to pull out of the upcoming 2009 Shanghai auto show later this month, said sina.com today.

As the world's biggest supplier of auto tires, Michelin has attended the auto shows in Beijing and Shanghai over the past ten years and provided a huge information center at these events. The absence of a global tire giant from the international auto show in Shanghai this year is seen as a great pity for many automakers as well as for the show's organizer.

Michelin has been playing an important role in China's auto market. A new Chinese-made car model, if equipped with the Michelin tires, will assume the air of high quality and strong performance.

A public relations executive of Michelin China said that the company will not go to the Shanghai auto show or other auto shows this year. "The whole industry is in difficulty and we also have to do some adjustment and scale-down," the executive explained.

Like this global tire giant, some other auto-parts suppliers and automakers have also announced their decision not to attend this year's Shanghai auto show, such as Delphi, Magna, ArvinMeritor, and Daihatsu Motor, Fiat Auto, citing the global financial crisis as the main reason.