The Japan Rubber Hose Manufacturers Association recently released a forecast of Japan’s rubber hose demand for 2021. According to the figures here, domestic rubber hose production for the year is slated to come to 32,340 tons, up 11.9 percent year-on-year. But while this represents a significant increase, it does not quite get the sector back to where it was before...
industry forecast
Demand for Japanese Rubber Belts Expected to Grow 1% Next Year
Demand for Japanese-made rubber belts is expected to reach 19,668 tons in 2021, which would mark a 1 percent year-on-year increase. This figure comes from the Japan Belting Manufacturers Association, which recently put together a 2021 demand forecast for rubber and plastic belts. The logistics sector, as well as the sector for packaging and paper production, are set to continue...
CEMA Projects 10% Rise in Construction Equipment Demand for Fiscal 2021
The Japan Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA) recently announced its construction equipment demand forecasts for fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2021. CEMA has forecasted the total value of domestic shipments for the first half of fiscal 2020 – hit by the spread of COVID-19 – at 431.1 billion yen ($4.07 billion), down 9 percent year-on-year. This figure includes a 15 percent...
New Year’s Interview: JRMA President Ikuji Ikeda Discusses Priorities for 2019 – Part 1
Ikuji Ikeda, president and CEO at Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110), was inaugurated last May as the 15th president of the Japan Rubber Manufacturers Association (JRMA). Japan Rubber Weekly recently sat down with Ikeda to hear his thoughts on the association and the industry heading into 2019. Defining his role with the JRMA, Ikeda said that he sees his job...
Bridgestone CEO Comments on Recent Troubles in Japanese Manufacturing
Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) CEO Masaaki Tsuya recently offered comments regarding the series of problems this year that some say has shaken confidence in Japanese manufacturing. Speaking at a year-end press conference, Tsuya said that he does not believe that confidence in Japanese manufacturing has been undermined. He maintained that the earnestness and strong work ethic of Japanese people has not...
Japanese Glove Sales Remain Strong as Focus on Work Safety Grows
Japan’s domestic sales volumes of glove products remained firm in 2016, up slightly from the year before, according to a report by the Japan Glove Manufacturers Association. Domestic sales of household gloves totaled 91.84 million pairs during 2016, up 0.2 percent from the previous year, while sales for surgical gloves increased 1.5 percent to 79.02 million pairs. Ultra-thin disposable gloves...