Tosoh will raise the price of all diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) products, a raw material for polyurethane, by more than 50 yen ($0.36) per kilogram beginning with shipments on August 1. The company said that prices of key raw materials for MDI products continue to rise, as well as utility and logistics costs. Under these circumstances, it has come to the...
Market Background
Rubber Roll Maker Kinyosha to Expand Sales Focusing on Film and UV Applications – Part 2
The blanket division of Japan’s largest rubber roll manufacturer Kinyosha performed well in overseas markets in fiscal 2021 ending March 2022. And although demand in Japan for newspaper printing remained flat, that for offset – sheet-fed and commercial web offset – recovered. The company raised prices of all its products in the second half of the fiscal 2021, as cost...
Rubber Roll Maker Kinyosha to Expand Sales Focusing on Film and UV Applications – Part 1
Japan’s largest rubber roll manufacturer Kinyosha reported year-on-year increases in both sales and profit for fiscal 2021 ending March 31, 2022. Although demand fell due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, it recovered by March 2022 as the impact slowly subsided. In particular, blankets geared for overseas, rolls for films, rolls for OA equipment, and iron core-related products contributed...
Rubber Sheets: Market Trends, Industry Voices – Part 2
While demand for automotive-related products has declined, demand for civil engineering and construction has remained strong. Steady progress in civil engineering and other construction work, which began to move in the second half of 2021, has led to demand for upper-level building-related projects. Demand was concentrated in the fourth quarter (January-March 2022), as construction work started moving quickly, especially in...
Rubber Sheets: Market Trends, Industry Voices – Part 1
Shipment volume of rubber sheets (plates) is declining. According to statistics compiled by the Japan Rubber Industry Association, shipments from January to May 2022 totaled 6,908 tons, down 7.3 percent from the same period last year. In 2021, the market recovered from the decline caused by the coronavirus pandemic and remained generally firm throughout the year. However, the recovery trend...
Asahi Kasei Records Major YoY Increases in First-Half Performance on Back of Material Segment
Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) has posted its business results for the first half of fiscal 2021, revealing a 19.4 percent year-on-year increase in sales – reaching 1.18 trillion yen ($10.27 billion) – and a 47.4 percent increase in operating income, 113.14 billion yen. Ordinary income too was up, marking a 53.9 percent increase to 119.23 billion yen; as was net...