Sumitomo tires
Falken's Japanese parent, sold under its own quiet name. Typically $70–$200 per tire.
Find Sumitomo tires for your car
Type your size or your vehicle and we show what Sumitomo makes for it. Suggestions appear after two characters.
Sumitomo Rubber Industries was founded in Kobe, Japan in 1909 and is one of the five largest tire makers in the world. In the US it is better known for Falken, and since 2025 it also owns Dunlop in North America, but it sells tires under its own name too, mainly through independent dealers and online retailers. Tires come from its plants in Thailand and Japan.
The Sumitomo lineup is a value play with better engineering than the price suggests. The HTR Enhance LX2 is a touring all-season with an 80,000-mile warranty, the HTR A/S P03 is an ultra-high-performance all-season with a 55,000-mile warranty, and the HTR Z5 is a summer performance tire. For trucks and SUVs, the Encounter HT is a highway tire with a 70,000-mile warranty and the Encounter AT is an all-terrain with the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol. The Ice Edge is a studdable winter tire.
Prices sit at the low end of the mid-tier, typically below Falken. Warranties are long for the money. The honest trade-offs are that the Sumitomo name gets less dealer support than Falken, so stock in a specific size can take effort to find, and the tires are competent rather than exciting. For a commuter car or highway truck, they deliver Japanese engineering at close to budget prices.
Sumitomo models worth buying
| Model | Type | Mileage warranty | From | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HTR Enhance LX2 | All-Season Tires | 80,000 mi | $90 | Commuter sedans and minivans that want a long warranty at a low price. |
| Encounter AT | All-Terrain Tires | 60,000 mi | $140 | Pickups and SUVs that want a winter-rated all-terrain for less than Falken or Toyo. |
| HTR A/S P03 | Performance Tires | 55,000 mi | $100 | Sport sedans that want affordable UHP all-season grip with a mileage warranty. |
| Encounter HT | Highway Truck & SUV Tires | 70,000 mi | $120 | Pickups and SUVs used on pavement that want a long-warranty highway tire. |
| HTR Z5 | Summer Tires | None | $100 | Enthusiast cars that want an inexpensive summer performance tire. |
| Ice Edge | Winter Tires | None | $90 | Cars and crossovers that need a studdable winter tire on a budget. |
Strengths
- Long warranties for the price, up to 80,000 miles
- Built by one of the largest Japanese tire makers
- Encounter AT is a value all-terrain with 3PMSF rating
Weaknesses
- Low brand visibility means thin stock in some sizes
- Competent rather than class-leading in any category
Sumitomo as a company
In the United States Sumitomo is a value-priced import brand: the tires are engineered and built by Sumitomo Rubber Industries outside the US, while TBC Corporation of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida is the exclusive marketer and distributor for the US and Canada and develops the US line-up, such as the HTR touring and Encounter light-truck families. Sumitomo Rubber has had no US tire plant since the Tonawanda, New York factory closed in May 2025, so all product is imported. The brand reaches buyers mainly through TBC's wholesale network of independent tire dealers and through online retailers, rather than through a branded dealer chain of its own.
Financial figures are GROUP-level for Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (tires plus sports goods and industrial products), not for the brand alone. FY2025 (year ended December 2025, the 134th term) revenue was JPY 1,207.1bn with operating income of JPY 90.8bn, an operating margin of 7.5%; the tire business contributed JPY 79.8bn of that operating income. JPY converted at a rounded 150 JPY per USD, giving about USD 8.05bn. Consolidated employees 37,671 at the end of 2025 (the parent company alone had 7,675). Tire Business' Global Tire Report ranks Sumitomo Rubber 6th worldwide on fiscal 2024 tire-only sales of USD 6.9bn. Number of tire plants is null: Sumitomo Rubber's own company outline lists tire factories in Japan (four), China (two), Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil, Turkey and South Africa without giving a total, and an undated company-site figure of "12 production facilities making over 124 million tires a year" appears to predate the closure of the Tonawanda, New York plant, so no count could be verified. Production volume in tires or tonnes and global market share are likewise unverified, hence null. US tire plants: none - Sumitomo Rubber USA stopped production at Tonawanda, New York in November 2024 and the plant closed in May 2025, so all tires for the US are now imported. Latest public figures: fiscal year 2025 (reported February 2026). The HQ given is that of the brand owner, Sumitomo Rubber Industries in Kobe, Japan; the brand has no separate US headquarters because TBC Corporation (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida) handles it. Founding year 1963 is when the company was renamed Sumitomo Rubber Industries and tires began carrying the Sumitomo name; the underlying Kobe factory dates from 1909 as Dunlop's Far East operation, and Sumitomo Rubber's own company outline dates the legal entity to 1917, so the founding year depends on which event is counted. Sumitomo Rubber Industries group figures harmonized across the Falken, Sumitomo and Dunlop records: FY2025 revenue JPY 1,207,061 million and operating profit JPY 82,584 million, i.e. an operating margin of 6.8 percent, and 11 tire plants (4 Japan, 2 China, Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil, Turkey, South Africa). SRI has had no US tire plant since the Tonawanda, New York plant stopped production in November 2024 and closed in 2025.
Sumitomo through the years
- 1909The factory behind the brand was set up in Kobe as Dunlop's Far East operation, the first tire plant in Japan.
- 1960The Sumitomo group took a stake in the Japanese Dunlop business, starting the shift to Sumitomo ownership.
- 1963The company was renamed Sumitomo Rubber Industries, and tires began to carry the Sumitomo name.
- 1986Sumitomo bought the Dunlop Tire Corporation of the United States, giving the group its own American organization.
- 2016TBC rolled out the Sumitomo Encounter HT, an all-season highway tire for SUVs and light trucks, in 36 sizes.
- 2025Sumitomo Rubber's last US factory, in Tonawanda, New York, closed in May, so every Sumitomo-brand tire sold in America is now imported.
Did you know?
- Sumitomo tires are made by Sumitomo Rubber Industries in Japan and Asia, but in the US and Canada they are sold only through TBC Corporation - the brand has no US sales arm of its own.
- Confusingly, TBC is not owned by the tire maker: it is a 50/50 joint venture between Sumitomo Corporation of Americas (a trading house, a different company) and Michelin.
- Sumitomo Rubber also owns Falken and holds the Dunlop tire name for Japan and much of Asia and Europe, so a Sumitomo, a Falken and a Japanese-market Dunlop can come off related production lines.
Sumitomo tires: common questions
Is Sumitomo the same company as Falken?
Yes. Sumitomo Rubber Industries owns Falken and sells tires under both names in the US. Falken gets the flagship designs and most of the marketing, while Sumitomo-branded tires are positioned as value products. Since 2025 the company also owns the Dunlop brand in North America.
Where are Sumitomo tires made?
Sumitomo-branded tires sold in the US are built mainly in the company's plants in Thailand and Japan, with some sizes from other Asian factories. Sumitomo closed its Tonawanda, New York plant in 2024, so no current Sumitomo tires are US-built. The country of origin is on the sidewall.
Are Sumitomo tires worth buying?
For a commuter car or highway truck on a budget, yes. The HTR Enhance LX2 and Encounter HT carry 80,000 and 70,000-mile warranties and cost well under Michelin or Bridgestone. They give up some wet grip and refinement to the premium brands but are a clear step above the cheapest imports.