Sumitomo Rubber has announced that Yasuaki Kuniyasu, the company’s Executive Officer and Director, will become the new President and CEO, effective March 26, 2026. Satoru Yamamoto, the current President and CEO, will assume the role of Chairman of the Board. This marks the company’s first leadership change in seven years. Kuniyasu, born in 1969 and 56 years old, has mainly...
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Zeon Advances Development of IR Surgical Glove Materials
In the first half of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026 (April to September), Zeon’s elastomer materials division reported a decrease in sales compared to the same period last year, but an increase in profits. Sales of synthetic rubber declined, reflecting weaker demand in certain segments. When examining sales trends by product type, general-purpose rubber for tires showed steady...
Resonac Focuses on Functional Solutions to Meet Niche Demands
In the first nine months of fiscal 2025 (January to September), Resonac saw a decline in sales of chloroprene rubber (CR) compared to the same period last year. “The decrease was attributed to the lingering effects of production issues in the previous year, which impacted sales during the first half of this year. However, we have started to recover sales...
JATMA Forecasts Japanese Tire Demand for 2025 and 2026
On December 16, 2025, the Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Association (JATMA) released its Japanese domestic tire demand forecast for 2025 and 2026. According to the forecast, total tire demand for 2025 is expected to exceed that of 2024 across all categories—new car tires, aftermarket tires, and two-wheeled vehicle tires. Specifically, total demand for 2025 is expected to increase by 2%...
Sumitomo Rubber Adopts Sustainable Carbon Black for First Time in Mass-Produced Tires
Sumitomo Rubber has become the first company to use resource-circulating carbon black, made from chemical recycling of used tires and other rubber materials, in some of its mass-produced passenger car tires. Production of these tires has begun at the Miyazaki plant in November 2025, accelerating the company’s efforts toward resource circulation. Resource-circulating carbon black is produced through the chemical recycling...
METI Revises Eco-Car Subsidy in Line with US-Japan Tariff Agreement
The Eco-Car Subsidy is set for a revision. According to an announcement made by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) on December 18, 2025, the subsidy cap for electric vehicles (EVs) will be raised by 400,000 yen, bringing it to 1.3 million yen ($8,300). Meanwhile, the subsidy for fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) will be reduced by ¥1.05 million...
