Production volume for rubber belts in April was down 4 percent year on year, marking eight straight months of such decreases. Meanwhile, year-on-year exports for that month were up by 3 percent, although a cooling domestic market led to a 6 percent decline in Japan. Figures for each belt category released by the Japan Belting Manufacturers Association indicate that production...
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...
The Chinese rubber industry experienced its greatest annual slowdown ever in 2015, with one of the industry’s leading products, tires, finishing the year with negative growth. The downturns in the Chinese and global economies were major contributing factors. In fact, the growth rate of the global economy’s real gross domestic product (GDP) was around 3 percent in 2015, the lowest...
The Chinese rubber industry must boost productivity, alternative energy use and strive for digitization if it is to reach its targets for 2025, says Fan Rende, Honorary Chairman of the China Rubber Industry Association (CRIA). Speaking at the China Rubber Conference held in March in Qingdao, Shandong Province, the 73-year-old Fan outlined the tasks facing the domestic Chinese industry in...
In January 2015, Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) acquired Lonstroff Holding AG. This is the parent company of Swiss firm Lonstroff AG, a manufacturer of rubber products used in the medical field. By ensuring it has a European base for manufacturing and selling such rubber products, Sumitomo Rubber will focus on Europe as it further develops its global presence in...
Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) subsidiary Bridgestone Europe NV/SA (BSEMEA) announced on May 30, 2016, that it would acquire Speedy France SAS, a leading car retail service company. Recent years have seen a string of overseas acquisitions by Japanese rubber companies, mainly tire manufacturers. With demand unlikely to grow domestically, Japanese companies are increasingly looking to expand their overseas business through corporate...
