Nexen Tire deepens ties with Qingdao, expands OE supply to BYD and Leapmotor

Nexen Tire met with a delegation from the Chinese city of Qingdao to discuss ways to deepen local business cooperation, with plans to expand original equipment tire supply to Chinese automakers and accelerate its push into the replacement tire market — both anchored by its Qingdao production base.

The company said Sunday that the Qingdao delegation visited its central research center, the Nexen Universe, in Magok, Gangseo-gu, Seoul.

The visit was part of a broader trip to South Korea by senior Qingdao city officials. The two sides discussed strategies for the Chinese market centered on Nexen Tire's Qingdao factory, as well as ways to expand investment and trade cooperation.

Attendees included Qingdao Mayor Ren Gang, Gao Liping — chairman and general manager of Shandong Port Group — and Li Hucheng, secretary-general of the Qingdao city government. Nexen Tire executives briefed the delegation on the company's China operations and its local production and supply systems.

The Qingdao factory plays a central role in Nexen Tire's China business. It supplies tires to both local Chinese automakers and the China manufacturing subsidiaries of global automotive brands, while also handling quality management and technical support.

Nexen Tire has been broadening its original equipment tire supply partnerships in China. On top of its existing cooperation with Beijing Hyundai, the company has expanded supply arrangements with Chinese automakers including BYD and Leapmotor, strengthening its position in the electric vehicle market. Its OE partnership with BYD in particular is widely cited as evidence of Nexen Tire's technological and quality competitiveness in China's electric vehicle sector.

The company is also targeting the replacement tire market. While OE supply focuses on building trust with automakers, the replacement market matters because it is where Nexen Tire connects directly with end consumers.

Nexen Tire has been reinforcing its local retail partnerships, including inviting executives from Tuhu, a leading Chinese automotive aftermarket platform, to its Magok research center. In May, the company hosted about 60 employees from top Chinese distributors for a program showcasing its brand and product competitiveness.

China is the world's largest auto market and one of the fastest-moving regions in the shift to electric vehicles. For global tire makers, it demands simultaneous entry into automaker supply chains and expansion of retail distribution networks — which is why Nexen Tire is emphasizing both its Qingdao factory and its local partnerships.

"The Qingdao factory is a core production base supporting Nexen Tire's growth in China and our ability to serve global automaker customers," a company official said. "We will use this visit by the Qingdao delegation as an opportunity to further solidify our cooperative relationships with local government and partners, and continue strengthening our competitiveness in the Chinese market."