Structural reforms to Tokai Carbon Co. Ltd.’s (TYO:5301) carbon black business are going exactly as planned, President Hajime Nagasaka said recently when speaking on the progress of the company’s T-2018 mid-term management plan. In order to undertake an overhaul of Tokai Carbon’s business foundations, the company is using T-2018 to structurally reform its carbon black, fine carbon and electrode businesses....
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...
Kuraray Co. Ltd. (TYO:3405) has revealed that it has entered into discussions with Sumitomo Corp. (TYO:8053) and PTT Global Chemical Co. Ltd. (PTTGC) regarding the construction of a plant in Thailand for the manufacturing of butadiene derivatives. The three will form a joint venture company to manufacture and sell hydrogenated styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer (HSBC) and high-performance polyamide PA9T. Plans call...
Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) will change the logo of its Hamatite brand of construction sealants, automotive adhesives and coatings in order to boost the brand’s competitiveness. At first, Yokohama Rubber plans to start shipping its new construction sealant products in packaging and labels printed with the new logo and it is aiming to switch all products over to the...
Synthetic rubber production fell 5.6 percent year-on-year to 773,584 tons in the first half of 2016, according to the Synthetic Rubber Industry Association of Japan. Production was down for all categories year-on-year, including a 6.1 percent decline for styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), a 2.8 percent decline for polybutadiene rubber (BR) and a 2.2 percent decline for ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPT)....
Tokai Carbon Co. Ltd. (TYO:5301) is planning to shut down one of four carbon black production lines at its Ishinomaki plant in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Annual production capacity will be reduced from 60,000 to 46,000 tons within 2016. The plant supplies carbon black to tire factories and rubber-parts manufacturers throughout eastern Japan. In March 2011, production stopped after the...
