Tire Firms Enter China Fortune 500
On July 21st, the 2026 Fortune China 500 list was officially released. The list uses 2025 revenue as the core evaluation criterion, providing a true assessment of the operational strength and growth resilience of leading domestic companies. In this prestigious list, the domestic tire industry delivered a stellar performance, with several local tire companies successfully making the list, becoming typical representatives of the transformation, upgrading, and efficiency improvement of traditional manufacturing.
Among them, two leading domestic tire companies, Zhongce Rubber and Sailun, both made the list, demonstrating the strong momentum of the domestic tire industry's large-scale rise and high-end breakthrough with their impressive operating data and comprehensive strength.
Zhongce Rubber: A First-Time Entrant Leading the Way
Let's look at Zhongce Rubber first. This is its first time on this list, and it immediately climbed to 343rd place, with revenue equivalent to US$6.255 billion, ranking first among the listed tire companies. Last year, it just listed on the A-share market, and this is its first full-year report card, with very solid data: 2025 operating revenue was 44.956 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 14.6%; net profit was 4.147 billion yuan, an increase of 9.6%; excluding non-recurring gains, non-GAAP net profit jumped by 22.15%.
The significant increase in non-GAAP profit speaks volumes – the profitability of its main business is more substantial, not just based on one-off sales. In terms of production capacity, Zhongce Rubber has expanded its production of semi-steel tires, all-steel tires, and specialty tires. Its all-steel tire market share in China exceeds 20%, and its semi-steel tire market is also gradually moving up. With its extensive distribution channels and large-scale production capacity, its market foundation is firmly established.
Sailun Group: Rapid Ranking Rise, Brand Reach Rises Alongside It
Let's talk about Sailun. Last year it was on the list, ranking 426th, and this year it jumped to 399th, an improvement of 27 places – a rapid rise rarely seen in the tire industry. Revenue reached $5.119 billion, a 15.69% increase, continuing its rapid growth momentum. Even more encouraging is that in the first quarter of this year, both revenue and gross profit hit record highs for the same period, with the gross profit margin steadily improving. Simply put, it has begun to shift from solely focusing on cost reduction to a synergistic approach leveraging technology, brand, and production capacity.
Regarding brand image, Sailun continues to shine on Brand Finance's 2026 Global Tire Brand Value Ranking, with a brand value of $1.239 billion, a sharp year-on-year increase of 37%, firmly holding its position among the top ten globally. It has also been the most valuable Chinese tire brand for the fourth consecutive year, its reputation growing increasingly impressive.
In terms of technology and products, it boasts a wide range of categories, including liquid gold tires, giant engineering radial tires, fashion series, and racing and off-road tires. Its "Rubber Chain Cloud" industrial internet platform connects production, R&D, and the intelligent supply chain, gradually building a technological moat.
Industry Underlying Characteristics: Significant Challenges, but Strong Advantages
The fact that multiple tire companies have entered the Fortune 500 demonstrates the solid foundation of China's tire industry and its comprehensive industrial chain. Currently, leading private companies are increasing their market share through technological innovation and global expansion; state-owned capital and other investment are also flowing in, driving continuous technological iteration and capacity upgrades.
Of course, the industry isn't without its challenges: fierce market competition, increasing international trade barriers, and a complex geopolitical environment are all daunting. However, the domestic tire industry holds several strong advantages—a complete upstream and downstream supply chain, overseas production capacity, and the benefits of the booming new energy vehicle market—all contributing to the industry's move towards high-end, intelligent, and green development. This direction should remain the main theme for the future.
From Price Competition to Value Competition: A Widening Path
Looking ahead, domestic tire companies are gradually moving away from the purely low-price competition of the past and are beginning to compete in the mid-to-high-end original equipment and mainstream overseas replacement markets, gradually narrowing the gap with leading international brands.
Leading companies are investing more and more in R&D, and their intelligent manufacturing and global networks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, leading to further increases in industry concentration. From relying on scale expansion to being driven by technology, brand, and efficiency, the growth potential of domestic tire manufacturers is still vast, and their global competitiveness is expected to reach a new level.
