Press Release

Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. (President and CEO: Yoshio Kataoka) was polled as the best for Overall Brand Average in Consumer Tires (passenger, performance and light truck/SUV) and Commercial Tires (medium truck) sections in Tire Review's 2005 Annual Tire Brand Study. Toyo has taken a fast and strong hold of the "Best Overall" spot in the consumer tires category for five consecutive years now.

First published over a century ago, Tire Review is a leading trade magazine for tire dealers in the US. Now in its 13th year, its Annual Tire Brand Study measures dealer opinions and perceptions about the consumer and commercial tires for nine categories each including line/application coverage, quality and innovation. The study is based on some 700 completed telephone dealer surveys.

Toyo was ranked No. 1 for two consecutive years in the three categories of the Consumer Tires – Major Brands section (Line Coverage, Product Innovation and Profitability of Brand). In the Commercial Tires – All Brands section, we snatched first place for Profitability of Brand, and were placed high in other categories too. All in all, Toyo was voted the best for Overall Brand Average in the two sections.

As demonstrated by the above survey and the fact that our tires were the most frequently chosen tires in vehicles exhibited at the annual SEMA Show (held in the US in November. One of the world's largest after-market trade shows) for six consecutive years (Company data), Toyo and Nitto brands' position in the North American market is improving every year. To make the best of this rising brand power and strong demand for our tires, we are building a new plant in Georgia, US, for scheduled start of commercial production in the first quarter of 2006. We believe the opening of this new plant will add a new dimension to Toyo and Nitto brands as a reliable, community-based tire supplier.