Sumitomo Rubber Launches Sustainable Artificial Turf for Sports May. 16, 2025. - Sumitomo Rubber has launched Palmfill, an environmentally friendly infill material for its sports artificial turf, Hibrid-Turf. Unlike conventional rubber chips, Palmfill is a highly water-retentive infill made from natural materials. It effectively suppresses turf surface temperatures during summer sunlight, contributing to improved sports environments. Notably, Palmfill-infused artificial turf has been adopted at Giants Town Stadium, the new farm team ballpark […]
Synthetic Rubber Sales and Profit Up on Forex Impact and Price Revisions: Zeon FY 2024 Results May. 16, 2025. - Zeon’s performance for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, showed sales of 420.65 billion yen ($2.89 billion), up 10% from the prior year, operating profit of 29.32 billion yen, up 43%, ordinary profit of 33.05 billion yen, up 22.8%, and net profit of 26.20 billion yen, down 15.8%. The elastomer materials division reported sales of 236.56 billion yen, up […]
Sumitomo Rubber Completes Transaction to Acquire Dunlop Trademark Rights from Goodyear May. 13, 2025. - Sumitomo Rubber announced on May 8 that it completed on May 7 the acquisition of the Dunlop trademark and other rights for four-wheel tires in Europe, North America, and Oceania from The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Sumitomo Rubber paid $631 million for the trademark and contractual rights, as well as transition support costs related to the transition of Dunlop […]
Rubber Belt Exports and Imports in 2024: Japan Belting Industry Association May. 2, 2025. - The Japan Belting Industry Association announced the 2024 import and export performance of rubber belts, compiled based on Ministry of Finance trade statistics. According to the data, export value was 48.35 billion yen ($340.24 million), up 6% from the previous year, and import value was 12.80 billion yen, up 11% from the previous year. Imports shifted from a decline in […]
Sumitomo Rubber Completes Transaction to Acquire Dunlop Trademark Rights from Goodyear May. 13, 2025. - Sumitomo Rubber announced on May 8 that it completed on May 7 the acquisition of the Dunlop trademark and other rights for four-wheel tires in Europe, North America, and Oceania from The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Sumitomo Rubber paid $631 million for the trademark and contractual rights, as well as transition support costs related to the transition of Dunlop […]
CITEXPO Tire Exhibition to Take Place in Shanghai in September May. 8, 2025. - The 20th China International Tire Expo (CITEXPO) 2025 will be held in Shanghai on September 3 to 5, 2025. One of the largest tire trade shows in the Asia-Pacific region, CITEXPO is organized by Haifu International Exhibition Service and will take place at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center in the city’s Pudong district. CITEXPO is a business […]
Sumitomo Rubber Launches Sustainable Artificial Turf for Sports May. 16, 2025. - Sumitomo Rubber has launched Palmfill, an environmentally friendly infill material for its sports artificial turf, Hibrid-Turf. Unlike conventional rubber chips, Palmfill is a highly water-retentive infill made from natural materials. It effectively suppresses turf surface temperatures during summer sunlight, contributing to improved sports environments. Notably, Palmfill-infused artificial turf has been adopted at Giants Town Stadium, the new farm team ballpark […]
Zeon to Increase Production of Retardation Film for Large-Screen LCD TVs May. 14, 2025. - Chemical company and synthetic rubber manufacturer Zeon has decided to expand its production line for retardation films used in large-screen LCD TVs at its Himi Futagami Plant in Himi City, Toyama Prefecture. The expansion will increase the company’s production capacity for TV retardation films by approximately 20%, reaching 264 million square meters annually. Construction of the new line will begin […]
Synthetic Rubber Sales and Profit Up on Forex Impact and Price Revisions: Zeon FY 2024 Results May. 16, 2025. - Zeon’s performance for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, showed sales of 420.65 billion yen ($2.89 billion), up 10% from the prior year, operating profit of 29.32 billion yen, up 43%, ordinary profit of 33.05 billion yen, up 22.8%, and net profit of 26.20 billion yen, down 15.8%. The elastomer materials division reported sales of 236.56 billion yen, up […]
Toyoda Gosei’s Full Year Results: Americas and India See Revenue and Profit Growth May. 15, 2025. - Toyoda Gosei’s financial performance for the fiscal year ending March 2025 (April 2024-March 2025) under International Financial Reporting Standards recorded revenue of 1,059.80 billion yen ($7.25 billion), down 1.1% from the previous year, operating profit of 59.84 billion yen, down 11.6%, and net profit of 36.33 billion yen, down 29.4%. Factors affecting operating profit included profit increases from cost improvements […]
Interview: Hideki Ogawa, President of Nishikawa Rubber Jan. 27, 2025. - Japan Rubber Weekly recently sat down for an interview with Hideki Ogawa, president of Nishikawa Rubber, to discuss the year ahead. “In 2025, we will continue to take on any challenge with elastic ideas,” Ogawa said. Also actively promoting the use of AI and automation, the company is on track to develop new products and technologies that are expected to […]
Interview: Toyohiro Hagiwara, Vice President, Gates Unitta Asia Jan. 24, 2025. - Japan Rubber Weekly sat down for an interview with Toyohiro Hagiwara, vice president of Gates Unitta Asia (GUA), to talk about business and the year ahead. “In the automotive field, we will expand the use of our products in commercial vehicles and respond to new types of mobility, such as EVs and electric motorcycles. In general industrial applications, we see […]
Molten Develops High Damping Laminated Rubber for Construction Apr. 25, 2025. - Molten Corporation, a manufacturer of rubber parts for athletic balls and automobiles, has developed a high-damping laminated rubber bearing for use in seismic isolation construction, and has obtained ministerial approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) for designated building materials under Article 37 of the Building Standards Law. Molten’s MHR1500 high-damping laminated rubber bearing, which was […]
Sumitomo Riko Targets 2020s Deployment of Battery Cooling Plates and Inter-Cell Insulation Apr. 4, 2025. - With the anticipated increase in demand for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the future, Sumitomo Riko is advancing the development of battery-related products. The company is proposing battery cooling plates and inter-cell thermal insulation materials to automakers, aiming for practical application in the 2020s. The battery cooling plate, named the Cool Fit Plate, is a developmental product that contributes to […]
Japan Glove Manufacturers Association Publishes 2024 Glove Sales Volumes Apr. 18, 2025. - According to the 2024 Japanese domestic glove sales volume statistics compiled by the Japan Glove Manufacturers Association, household glove sales reached 73.253 million pairs, down 1% year-on-year, nearly flat. Nitrile gloves alone grew by 14%, but cautious buying due to a sluggish market continued to suppress demand post-COVID. Ultra-thin gloves (excluding medical use) totaled 5.405 billion pieces, up 6% and […]
CEMA Publishes Construction Machinery Demand Forecasts for Fiscal 2024 and 2025 Mar. 7, 2025. - The Japan Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA) recently released its construction machinery demand forecasts for fiscal 2024 (April 2024-March 2025) and fiscal 2025 (April 2025-March 2026). The forecasts were compiled based on a questionnaire survey conducted in January among 61 construction equipment manufacturers that are regular members of the association. According to the survey, in fiscal 2024, Japanese domestic shipments […]
