Market Background

Carbon Black Shipments Down 7.3% to 49,900 Tons for July

Shipment volume of carbon black in July was down 7.3 percent to 49,900 tons from the same period last year, marking the eighth consecutive year-on-year decline, according to the Japanese Carbon Black Association. Carbon black shipments for rubber products dropped by 6.5 percent for tires and 10 percent for general rubber products. The total shipment volume for rubber products was...

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JPCA Publishes Japanese Petrochemical Industry Almanac 2016

The Japan Petrochemical Industry Association (JPCA) recently published the 2016 edition of its almanac “State of the Petrochemical Industry.” Published almost every year since 1961, the publication provides data about the Japanese petrochemical industry and the composition of the industry’s upstream supply chain. The almanac features an overview of the petrochemical industry, industry-related statistics, production capacity of main petrochemical products...

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Japan’s Natural Rubber Import Volume Hits Fifth Straight Month of Decline in July

Japan’s import volume of natural rubber for July 2016 decreased by 1.2 percent year-on-year, with import value plunging 24.3 percent, according to statistics gathered by the Rubber Trade Association of Japan. It represents the fifth consecutive month of year-on-year decline for import volume, and the 10th such consecutive month for import value. The average import price plummeted by 23.4 percent...

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Gas Piping Shows 20% Improvement in Pass Ratio for July Independent Testing

A total of 359,000 meters of gas piping passed independent testing in July, according to data collected by the Japan Rubber Manufacturers Association (JRMA). It marks a year-on-year increase of 20 percent – and the second consecutive month of increased scores. In terms of rubber piping, that both for urban gas and liquefied petroleum (LP) gas showed improvement in pass...

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Toyoda Gosei Aims to Promote Female Workers, Holds Management Conference

Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) held a conference for managers to raise their awareness of promoting the advancement of female workers and help them recognize the necessity of organized efforts. The conference was part of an initiative launched in 2015, which aims to change the management’s mindset and action. Under the theme of the “management that promotes advancement of female...

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Japan’s Rubber Unions Outline 2016 Campaign Policies at Annual Convention

The Japanese Rubber Workers Union Confederation (JRWUC) recently held its 2016 convention, where it announced its campaign policies. These included a reinforcement of its organization, such as the enhancement of industry-wide organizational functions, organizational stability and expansion and publicity campaigns with educational information. Also presented were employment and lifestyle protection initiatives, including those for job security, the enhancement of labor–management...

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