Bando USA, the U.S. subsidiary of Bando Chemical Industries Ltd., has established Bando Belting Mexico in Mexico City to market V-belts and timing belts and boost sales in the country’s repair market. Mexico’s automobile industry is seeing a rapid increase in output of cars for the North American and Latin American markets. Bando USA’s new sales company looks to ride...
The price of Japanese-made naphtha, an indicator of synthetic rubber prices, was 47,200 yen ($380) per kiloliter for the third quarter (July–September), down by more than 3 percent, or 1,600 yen ($13), over the second quarter (April–June). Naphtha prices are expected to drop further in the October–December period. Falling raw material prices look to continue as a factor in tire...
Shinsuke Yoshitaka, president and CEO of Denka Co. Ltd., spoke about his company’s recently completed acquisition of the chloroprene rubber (CR) business of E.I. Dupont de Nemours and Company (Dupont). Yoshitaka said that since announcing the acquisition, Denka has submitted the deal to antitrust authorities in 12 countries and has been given the go-ahead, and that the newly acquired U.S....
In the first three quarters of 2015 (January–September), consolidated financial results for four Japanese tire manufacturers—Bridgestone Corp., Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd., Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd., and Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd.—showed large gains in operating income thanks to low prices for crude oil, natural rubber and synthetic rubber. The lower raw material prices translated into gains for Bridgestone of...
Sumitomo Riko Co. Ltd. is stepping up its global strategy in industrial hoses. The company’s high-pressure hoses performed strongly in the Japanese market up to July but have softened since September. Sales of products for custom designed vehicles and dump trucks were also strong, but the previously robust machine tool business fell on lower exports. Sales in the repair market...
Net sales in Japan for the hoses and couplings business of Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. dropped year-on-year in the first half of 2015 (January–June). Although the company began full-fledged sales of high-pressure hydrogen gas hoses for hydrogen filling stations and received a boost in sales from new automobile hose products, hydraulic hose sales shrank due to lower output by construction...
