industry trends

Semiconductor Demand Drives Strong Sales for Plastic Hoses and Tubes

Companies in the rubber and plastic hose sector are continuing to see a good level of sales for their plastic hoses and tubes. Amid high global demand for semiconductors and related products, a surge of activity has come about surrounding hoses and tubes for use in semiconductor manufacturing equipment. On top of this, the likes of suction hoses for use...

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Rubber Auto Parts Trend Toward Recovery, But Face Murky Waters Ahead

With automotive production bouncing back from the lows brought by COVID-19, rubber-related auto parts too have seen a recovery in both production and shipment numbers. Looking at Japan’s automotive production figures from last year, it is apparent that production volume started to fall by double digits year-on-year in April 2020, marking a trend that then continued for some time. Following...

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Annual Rubber Industry Accounts for FY2020 Show Second-Half Recovery on Automotive Rebound

Rubber industry earnings reports for the fiscal year through March 2021 show a second-half recovery from nearly across-the-board first-half negative revenue and profit performance due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that struck early in 2020. The second-half turnaround reflected a worldwide economic recovery, powered in large part by strong performance in the Chinese and U.S. automotive industries....

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Container Shortage Affects Rubber Industry, Driving Concerns Around Supply Stability and Cost Hikes

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to make it difficult to secure containers for imports and exports, and Japan’s rubber industry is no exception. Further, with the potential for the issues here to not only hinder stable product supply but also drive up costs, there are a number of players in the industry voicing concern over the current state of affairs. As...

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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...

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Surging Costs Hurt Domestic Market for Rubber and Plastic Hoses

Manufacturers of industrial rubber products have seen their revenues of late driven down by rising distribution and raw material costs. The impact of this has been particularly large for rubber and plastic hoses, which require significant labor to transport due to their shape and so incur higher delivery costs than other rubber products. This has then combined with sharp cost...

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