Falling Naphtha Prices Bring About Strong Expectation of Price Drops for Synthetic Rubber Mar. 30, 2020. - Naphtha prices, which serve as a basis for the likes of the synthetic rubber market, are showing a significant drop amid tough market conditions. As of March 24, prices in Tokyo’s open-spec naphtha market are sitting at a median of $195 per ton when looking at product set to be delivered in late May. This is roughly a third of […]
Japan’s Major Tire Manufacturers Halt Employee Initiation Ceremonies Amid Coronavirus Concerns Mar. 27, 2020. - Responding to the continued spread of the novel coronavirus, major tire manufacturers in Japan have decided to call off or postpone initiation ceremonies for new employees. Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) is among this list, having decided to postpone its ceremonial activities. Meanwhile, Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) has decided that rather than hold its usual activities for new employees, it will […]
Falling Naphtha Prices Bring About Strong Expectation of Price Drops for Synthetic Rubber Mar. 30, 2020. - Naphtha prices, which serve as a basis for the likes of the synthetic rubber market, are showing a significant drop amid tough market conditions. As of March 24, prices in Tokyo’s open-spec naphtha market are sitting at a median of $195 per ton when looking at product set to be delivered in late May. This is roughly a third of […]
Japan’s Major Tire Manufacturers Halt Employee Initiation Ceremonies Amid Coronavirus Concerns Mar. 27, 2020. - Responding to the continued spread of the novel coronavirus, major tire manufacturers in Japan have decided to call off or postpone initiation ceremonies for new employees. Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) is among this list, having decided to postpone its ceremonial activities. Meanwhile, Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) has decided that rather than hold its usual activities for new employees, it will […]
Bridgestone Fields Questions Regarding Coronavirus, Diversified Business and More at General Meeting of Shareholders Mar. 26, 2020. - Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) recently held a general meeting of shareholders at the Palace Hotel Tokyo, starting at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 24. The meeting was attended by 246 shareholders and lasted for one hour and 10 minutes. Seven shareholders at the meeting asked a total of eight questions. Topics here included the company’s progress with diversified businesses, as well […]
Goodyear Announces Self-Regenerating, Adaptive Concept Tire Mar. 17, 2020. - The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. recently announced its revolutionary self-regenerating concept tire, reCharge. This concept tire is able to adapt to different driving conditions and change accordingly while meeting a user’s mobility needs. At the core of the reCharge concept is a refillable, biodegradable tread compound. The ability to refill with individual capsules, or cartridges, radically simplifies the process […]
Kohshin Rubber Launches Line of Ultraman-Themed Shoes, Clothing and More Mar. 19, 2020. - Kohshin Rubber Co. Ltd. on March 18 launched a series of new products based on the Ultra franchise, including Ultraman, Ultra Seven and the various monsters appearing in the franchise. Products offered here include safety sneakers, stretch hoodies, stretch pants, rubber boots, rain jackets, backpacks and tote bags. Hitting the market as a new work brand, this Ultraman line uses […]Fuji Latex Posts Decline to Sales, Profits Despite Strong Performance for New Condom Line Feb. 14, 2020. - Fuji Latex Co. Ltd. (TYO:5199) recently posted its business results for April–December 2019, showing a drop in both sales and profits. The company’s sales for the three quarters came to 5.42 billion yen ($49.34 million) for a 14.1 percent year-on-year drop, while operating profit was down 95.6 percent to 22 million yen, ordinary profit was down 94.3 percent to 27 […]
Lanxess Develops Plant-Derived Processing Promoter for Rubber Mar. 18, 2020. - Lanxess AG recently used its Aktiplast PP series of rubber processing promoters as a framework to develop Aktiplast PP-veg, a new product made using plant-derived raw materials. As a processing promoter, Aktiplast PP gets added into rubber compounds and used for the production of both tires and various technical rubber products. The newly developed Aktiplast PP-veg uses sustainable materials as […]
Denka Makes Downward Revision to Business Estimates Amid Sluggish Sales, Coronavirus Outbreak Mar. 13, 2020. - Denka Co. Ltd. (TYO:4061) recently announced that it has downwardly revised its projected business results for fiscal 2019. Explaining its decision here, Denka noted first that it has seen sluggish sales trends for chloroprene rubber (CR) amid the U.S.–China trade war. The chemical company has also looked to account for the novel coronavirus to some extent, expecting that this will […]
Interview: Toyoda Gosei President Naoki Miyazaki Explains Plans to Boost Revenue in 2020 Jan. 30, 2020. - Facing a tough market and a need for innovation, Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) has been making a range of moves to solidify its business foundations and pave the path for future growth. Company president Naoki Miyazaki recently sat down with Japan Rubber Weekly to give some insight into these plans. To begin with, Miyazaki noted that 2019 saw Toyoda […]
Interview: Gates Unitta Asia VP Shuji Miyamoto Details Plans for Sales Growth Jan. 21, 2020. - Gates Unitta Asia Co. is making a number of efforts to improve its sales of V-belts, auto tensioners and more across the Asian market. Shuji Miyamoto, who serves as VP at the company, recently took some time out to sit down for an interview with Japan Rubber Weekly and talk about Gates Unitta Asia’s efforts toward this. 2020 is expected […]
Goodyear Teams up With Skechers for Joint Development of Footwear Mar. 24, 2020. - Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. recently announced that it has been working with footwear brand Skechers USA Inc. to develop new footwear. Outsoles making use of Goodyear’s rubber technology are being utilized in a range of Skechers products. These outsoles incorporate various Goodyear technologies, such as a special polymer that includes renewable soybean oil. As a result, the outsoles provide […]
Shimadzu Works to Develop New Test Kit for Novel Coronavirus Mar. 11, 2020. - Shimadzu Corp. (TYO:7701) has started development efforts on a genetic test kit for the novel coronavirus. As this new test kit skips the conventional step of extracting ribonucleic acid (RNA) from the sample, it will help to reduce labor and time requirements for testing. A manufacturer of testing, measuring and analytical equipment for the likes of the rubber sector, Shimadzu […]
Sumitomo Rubber Calculates 18.2B Yen Impairment Loss for 2019, Lowers Profit Projections Feb. 6, 2020. - Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) has made a revision to its earnings forecast for calendar 2019, driven in large part by the company factoring in expenses of 18.2 billion yen ($165.74 million) in impairment losses. These impairment losses relate both to fixed assets as well as to goodwill, which represents the discrepancy between fair market value and purchase price in […]
Japan’s Rubber Belt Production Falls 7% in 2019 Despite Strong Domestic Demand for Conveyor Belts Feb. 5, 2020. - Japan’s production of rubber belts has fallen 7 percent year-on-year to end at 24,575 tons for 2019, according to figures from the Japan Belting Manufacturers Association. Making up a large proportion of overall rubber belt production, that for conveyor belts fell 8 percent year-on-year to 13,633 tons. While domestic demand for such belts was strong enough to outshine 2018 figures […]
