Oct. 23--TOKYO/SYDNEY -- Bridgestone Corp., the world's largest tire and rubber company, announced Friday it will close its tire manufacturing plants in Australia and New Zealand.

Tokyo-based Bridgestone said international competitive forces "have been making tire manufacturing in Australia and New Zealand increasingly difficult to the point where the operations in both countries are no longer viable." "The unfortunate reality is that Bridgestone Australia Ltd. can no longer commercially justify the continued operation of these facilities," the wholly-owned subsidiary's Senior Executive Director Andrew Moffatt said in a statement.

The tire-manufacturing facility in Christchurch, New Zealand, will be closed by the end of the year, while the plant in Adelaide, in the state of South Australia, will be wound down by the end of April next year, the company said.

The Christchurch plant has been running since 1947 and the Adelaide since 1965.

Bridgestone said the closures will affect some 600 workers in Adelaide and 275 in Christchurch, but over 1,500 employees in the company's distribution, customer service and retail outlets Australia and New Zealand will not be affected.

"It is our goal to help as many of our employees as possible gain alternative employment, either within the Bridgestone organization or in the wider marketplace," Moffatt said.

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