Several foreign companies have expressed interest in acquiring Serbian rubber and tyre producer Trayal which is currently undergoing restructuring ahead of tender privatisation.

The state, which has selected Ces Mecon to advise it on the sale, has yet to decide whether it will privatise Trayal as a whole or just parts of the company.

The Krusevac-based company, managing five plants and employing 3.9k workers, hopes its home sales will reach 24m euros in 2004.

Exports are expected to hit 28m euros, up from 19m euros in 2003.

Earlier this week, Trayal said it plans to bolster car tyre exports to Great Britain by 70% in 2004.

The company, which sold GBP2.8m worth of car tyres in Great Britain in 2003, expects to export 600k tyres to the British market in 2004.

(NewsBase 10.v.04)