According to the Czech publication iDnes, tire companies have warned dealers that they are running out of raw materials for production. In recent years, Russia has been Europe's main supplier of industrial carbon black, which is used as a filler in rubber compounds in the manufacture of automotive rubber. The share of the Russian Federation in the supply of carbon black reached about 35 percent - the owners of tire brands valued the component for its high quality and reasonable price.

The German Rubber Industry Association (WDK) has warned consumers of a drastic reduction in production. Moreover, the consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, sanctions and counter-sanctions will affect not only the production of wheels. The entire rubber industry is under threat - in particular, the production of automotive hoses and seals. WDK General Director Boris Engelgardt believes that European capacities are not able to compensate for the loss of Russian imports, and logistics does not allow to quickly arrange soot supplies to Europe from other countries.

To understand the seriousness of the situation: soot filler is not at all a whim of automakers, or noir lovers. Soot accounts for a quarter of the mass of a tire. For a century and a half of the production of wheels for various "self-propelled carriages", it has been found that carbon black provides wear resistance and fire resistance of rubber, increases adhesion (traction), which directly affects the safety of the vehicle. The global demand for industrial carbon black far outstrips supply.