Market Background

Rubber Sheet Production Rises for Fourth Straight Month

Rubber sheet production volume in April was 6.5 percent higher than in April of 2015, making for a fourth consecutive month of year-on-year increases. Meanwhile, shipment volume rose 0.8 percent from a year before, marking a third straight month of annual increases. By product category, April press product manufacturing volume was up 5.6 percent on the year, although shipments declined...

Please subscribe to read the full story.

[lwa template="modal" register="0"]Subscribe

Continue Reading

Production Volume of Automobile Tire Tubes Down 17 Straight Months

The production volume of automobile tire tubes for April was 87,005 tons, a year-on-year decline of 6.3 percent. It marks the 17th consecutive month of production decline, according to data compiled by the Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association (JATMA). Four of six tire tube classifications saw year-on-year declines in production volume: trucks and buses, 9.1 percent; small trucks, 9.7 percent;...

Please subscribe to read the full story.

[lwa template="modal" register="0"]Subscribe

Continue Reading

Production Volume of Synthetic Rubber for March Down 11%

The production volume of synthetic rubber for March was 102,196 tons, a year-on-year decrease of 11.7 percent, according to data compiled by the Synthetic Rubber Industry Association of Japan. This fall-off was consistent across all product types, as SBR production volume was at 23,800 tons, a 25.3 percent decrease; and BR was at 21,791 tons, an 11.2 percent decrease. There...

Please subscribe to read the full story.

[lwa template="modal" register="0"]Subscribe

Continue Reading

Seismic Isolation Rubber Proves Highly Effective in Kumamoto Earthquakes

Seismic isolation rubber alleviates the destructive force of earthquakes. And it does so with isolation components, manufactured from laminated rubber and other materials, to take the brunt of the seismic motion. So a relevant question is how buildings with seismically isolated structures faired during last month’s earthquakes in Kumamoto, Japan. Along with taking a look at conditions in post-quake Kumamoto,...

Please subscribe to read the full story.

[lwa template="modal" register="0"]Subscribe

Continue Reading

March Construction Machinery Shipments Down, Domestic Demand Up First Time in Four Months

According to the Japan Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association, March construction equipment shipments amounted to 244.7 billion yen ($2.24 billion). This was down 9 percent from March of the previous year and represented an eighth consecutive month of decline. Domestic demand amounted to 118.2 billion yen, up 2 percent year on year, while overseas demand fell 18 percent year on year...

Please subscribe to read the full story.

[lwa template="modal" register="0"]Subscribe

Continue Reading

Tocom Opens Futures Trading Showroom

During the Edo Period (1603-1867), shippers and wholesalers dealing in local specialties from various countries concentrated in the Horidomecho area of Tokyo’s Nihombashi district. Also home to Suginomori Shrine and its famed raffles, Horidomecho today looks set to develop a reputation for commodity futures trading as well. The Tokyo Commodity Exchange, where dealers trade in everything from Middle Eastern oil...

Please subscribe to read the full story.

[lwa template="modal" register="0"]Subscribe

Continue Reading