Buying tyres and tubes in Bangladesh
A pneumatic tyre is built from natural and synthetic rubber, fabric and wire, with carbon black and other chemicals; a tube is the airtight ring inside a tube-type tyre. Bicycle and light vehicle owners, dealers, cycle assemblers and importers buy them. In Bangladesh's export data the tyre that leaves the country is the bicycle tyre.
A tyre and tube manufacturer in Bangladesh moulds the size, but the marking on the sidewall is what your customer reads. Roptan sources from verified makers, writes the size, construction and markings into the order, checks a sample of the lot against them, and delivers. You deal with Roptan only.
How to specify a tyre and tube order
- Bicycle size
- Give the designation to ISO 5775-1, with the rim to ISO 5775-2, so the tyre fits the rim you use or sell.
- Motorcycle and vehicle size
- Copy the full sidewall code, for example 150/70 B 17 69 H: width, aspect ratio, construction, rim diameter, load index and speed symbol.
- Load and speed
- State the load index and speed symbol for the vehicle and use, not only the size.
- Tube, valve and compound
- Say TT with tube or TL. For tubes give the tyre size, valve type and whether you want butyl.
- Tread and puncture resistance
- Name the tread pattern and use. Thicker casings and puncture belts reduce flats but usually add rolling resistance.
- Markings and date code
- List the markings you need: size, TT or TL, maximum pressure, date code and any approval mark for your market.
Standards and marks for tyres and tubes
- ISO 5775-1:2023 and ISO 5775-2:2021
- Bicycle tyre designations and dimensions, and rims. The 2014 edition of Part 1 is withdrawn, so ask that sizes follow the 2023 edition.
- ISO 4000-1:2024 and ISO 4249-1
- Metric passenger car tyres with designation, dimensions and load ratings, and the inch-code motorcycle series for tyres up to 150 km/h.
- E-mark and ECE Regulation 30
- Tyres sold for road use in Europe since July 1997 must carry an E-mark. Ask for the approval covering the exact size.
- DOT date code
- Four digits on the sidewall give the week and year of manufacture. Check them on stocked or imported lots for tyre age.
- BSTI for car tyres
- A 2020 press report said BSTI added passenger car tyres and rims to its mandatory certification list. Ask the seller for the current BSTI position.
Lead times and delivery
Time depends on whether your size and tread are in production, on a new mould or sidewall marking, on approvals for your market, on rubber supply and on how many sizes share one order. Roptan confirms the dates and the minimum quantity in the quote.
Roptan delivers tyres and tubes anywhere in Bangladesh, bundled or boxed by size, with the packing list, any approval papers and a VAT invoice (Mushak 6.3). Store them out of sun and away from running motors, since sunlight and ozone age rubber.
Buying tyres and tubes for export
For importers Roptan quotes FOB Chattogram (Chittagong). In EPB data for FY2025-26, bicycle tyres made up about 98 percent of Bangladesh's new pneumatic tyre exports, with no motorcycle or car tyre line, and bicycle tubes were a small line. Documents include the invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and the seller's ERC.
Questions buyers ask
How do I read a motorcycle tyre size?
Take 150/70 B 17 69 H: 150 is the width, 70 the aspect ratio, B means bias belted, 17 the rim diameter, 69 the load index and H the speed symbol. Copy the whole code onto the order, not only the width and rim, and check it on sample tyres.
Butyl or natural rubber tubes?
Butyl lets very little gas through, so butyl tubes hold pressure well. Natural rubber tubes are usually less prone to punctures and more pliable. Many tubes mix natural and synthetic rubber, so state the compound you want and ask the seller to confirm it in writing.
Do Bangladeshi makers export motorcycle tyres?
Not in the EPB data for FY2025-26: the export tyre line is the bicycle tyre, with a small line for construction and industrial vehicle tyres. For motorcycle or car tyres, Roptan sources for use in Bangladesh and checks the markings and approvals your market needs.
How can I tell the age of a tyre?
Read the date code on the sidewall. In the DOT code, four digits give the week and then the year of manufacture, so 2325 means week 23 of 2025. Check them on sample tyres before acceptance, especially on stocked lots.
How soon will I hear back about rubber products?
Within 48 hours of a complete requirement, with a price and a delivery date. A requirement is complete when it has the quantity, where it is needed and by when.
Who do I deal with?
With Roptan, when Roptan manages the order: we buy from the verified seller and deliver to you. With the supplier directly, when you post on the requirement board and choose a quote yourself.