The fifth China Rubber Market Development Forum is being held in Qingdao. It's looking at the influence of trade protectionism on the country's tire industry.
Experts say the tire industry will be hit this year due to the US imposing tariffs and says domestic tire producers should transfer their development pattern and rely on new technologies. Sources also say China will publish new polices for the tire sector by the end of March or the beginning of April. They say China aims to reduce its tire export rate to 30 to 35 percent in 2015 from the current level of about 40 percent.