Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) has managed a world-first success in shedding light on the crystallization process that occurs at the tips of cracks in natural rubber – crystallization referring here to rubber molecules becoming aligned in the direction of elongation when the rubber is stretched. The company’s research on this was carried out in conjunction with the Leibniz Institute...
Industry
Japan’s Synthetic Rubber Production Falls 3% Year-on-Year for 2018
Japan’s production of synthetic rubber fell by 3.2 percent year-on-year to end at just under 1.57 million tons for 2018, according to figures recently released by the Synthetic Rubber Industry Association of Japan. In terms of individual rubber types, the country’s production of chloroprene rubber (CR) rose 1.8 percent year-on-year to reach 126,114 tons for 2018, while that for ethylene...
Special Report: Japanese Exports to China Rise for Some Rubber Products, Fall for Others
Driven by factors such as the U.S.–China trade war, China’s economic slowdown is becoming clearer as of late. And these trade tensions, as well as the related sense of deceleration in domestic Chinese conditions, are now having a visible impact on trade figures. Business conditions for electrical and electronic parts saw a negative trend through to the end of last...
Toyo Tires and Mitsubishi Launch Efforts to Draw Out Synergy
Toyo Tire Corp. (TYO:5105) and Mitsubishi Corp. (TYO:8058) have gotten started with efforts aimed at drawing out synergy between their two companies. This follows the pair having agreed to an increased capital partnership late last year. Looking to bring about synergy between their companies at an early stage, Toyo Tires and Mitsubishi have started up seven collaborative task forces relating...
Major Tire Companies Plan Production Increases for 2019 While Projecting Rising Sales, Falling Profits
Japan’s four major tire manufacturers have now posted their earnings forecasts for calendar 2019, with the general trend of expectations here pointing to increased sales and decreased profits. And amid this, all four of the companies are planning increases to their production capacity. While a number of factors make 2019 a difficult year to predict – including the U.S.–China trade...
Osaka Soda Posts Increased Sales, Profits Following Strong Performance With Rubber Products
Osaka Soda Co. Ltd. (TYO:4046) has posted a significant increase to its sales and profits for the cumulative first three quarters of fiscal 2018. Year-on-year, Osaka Soda’s sales rose by 9.9 percent to reach 81.85 billion yen ($741.23 million) over the nine-month period. In profits, meanwhile, the company’s operating profit rose 36 percent to 7.65 billion yen, with ordinary profit...