Japan’s import volume of natural rubber for January 2016 increased by 1 percent year-on-year to more than 58,000 tons, rising for the first time in five months, according to the Rubber Trade Association of Japan. However, the import value plunged by 18 percent to 9.26 billion yen ($81.7 million), declining for the fifth month in a row. The average import...
Employers in the rubber industry are increasingly expanding business operations and beefing up production by increasing their workforces, according to a spring 2016 hiring status survey of 31 major rubber industry companies. The survey by Japan Rubber Weekly also indicated that the number of firms increasing the number of new hires this year compared to the previous year has grown...
Nitta Corp. (TYO:5186) held ceremonies on March 18 at its head office in Osaka and plant in Nara to celebrate 131 years in business, followed by awards for its long-service employees. In his ceremony speech, President and Representative Director Motonobu Nitta said that the company has survived through the generations by responding to whatever challenges have come its way and...
Shipping volume for Japan’s synthetic rubber in 2015 (January–December) dropped by about 5 percent year-on-year to slightly over 1.632 million tons, according to the Japan Rubber Manufacturers Association (JRMA). Domestic shipping volume excluding chloroprene rubber (CR) and butyl rubber (IIR), whose figures weren’t released, fell about 5 percent from the previous year to around 890,000 tons. Export volume also declined...
Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) and synthetic rubber manufacturer JSR Corp. (TYO:4185) have been selected as winners of the 2015 Nadeshiko Meigara award, which recognizes companies that excel in providing women with career opportunities. The prize program is organized by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Tokyo Stock Exchange. In the Nadeshiko Meigara selection process, the review panel...
The Japanese Rubber Workers Union Confederation (JRWUC) has largely completed its spring labor offensive, and unions have submitted wage demands at most large rubber manufacturers. According to the JRWUC, 45 out of 58 unions have submitted their wage demands, and despite discrepancies between sectors such as tires, automobile parts, and industrial goods, wage increase demands are trending downward from the...
