AKRON, Ohio, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. plans to idle 15 percent of its North American tire-making capacity this year and shift production of some tires to other countries, the Akron Beacon Journal newspaper reported on Thursday.
Accoridng to the newspaper, Akron-based Goodyear said in a company newsletter distributed to employees that it could no longer afford to produce low-priced commodity-type tires in North America.
A Goodyear spokesman was not immediately available to comment on the newspaper report.
A Goodyear spokesman told the newspaper that the company has no immediate plans to shut any North American tire plants, but needs to make those plants more competitive.
"The fate of the U.S. manufacturing base hinges on whether we can discover ways to get them competitive," spokesman Chuck Sinclair was quoted as saying.
The company operates 13 tire plants in the United States and Canada.
Goodyear announced on Jan. 16 that it was cutting more than 700 salaried staff jobs at its corporate headquarters and North American tire operations through layoffs and attrition.
Goodyear stock gained 1 cent to $5.90 Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange. The closing price of $5.89 Wednesday was the lowest closing in more than 20 years, adjusted for stock splits.