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YOKOHAMA announced today that it will cease supplying its YOKOHAMA karting tyres at the end of this year.

YOKOHAMA began supplying karting tyres for use in Japan and overseas in 2001. The Company has provided tyres for karting races certified by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF)-including the All Japan Karting Championship, the country’s premier kart racing series - and races certified by the International Automobile Federation’s International Karting Commission (CIK-FIA). YOKOHAMA karting tyres also include tyres for hobby, rental, and indoor karts. For more than 20 years, the Company has supported races and driver in Japan and overseas with a wide range of karting tyres.

However, under Yokohama Transformation 2023 (YX2023), the Company’s medium-term management plan for fiscal years 2021-2023, YOKOHAMA is promoting the restructuring of its business as it targets growth over the next generation. After careful consideration of various viewpoints, management has determined that it should terminate its supply of YOKOHAMA karting tyres and withdraw from the karting tyre business. YOKOHAMA will fulfil its responsibilities under existing contracts with kart racing series, events and other customers and continue to supply tyres until the contracts’ expiration.

The Company would like to take this opportunity to express its sincere gratitude to all the users, dealers, kart manufacturers, and people associated with kart racing who have supported YOKOHAMA karting tyres over the years. During YX2023, YOKOHAMA aims to maximize the sales ratios of high-value-added tyres in its consumer tyre business. Toward that end, the Company continues to value its participation in motorsports activities as crucial to its development of advanced tyre technologies that contribute to its development of high-performance tyres. Accordingly, while pursuing a business restructuring of the entire Yokohama Rubber Group targeting growth over the next generation, the Company will continue to supply its tyres to a wide variety of motorsports events in Japan and around the globe, from top-category to grassroots events.