Concerning signs are appearing in the market for rubber products, which had until recently been trending well in terms of shipments. According to August shipment and production figures compiled by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan’s shipments of rubber products came to a total value of 166.77 billion yen ($1.53 billion) for the month, falling 4.6 percent...
Japan Rubber Manufacturers Association
Growth to Asian Butadiene Prices Recedes in 2018 After Strong Showing in 2017
Butadiene prices in the Asian market dropped back slightly for 2018 after surging up in 2017. This then formed the topic at a recent executive meeting of the Japan Rubber Manufacturers Association (JRMA), with the association covering a range of information about trends in the market. Looking back, the meeting highlighted that butadiene prices continued to rise – in conjunction...
Japan’s New Rubber Consumption Estimated to Have Grown 3.1% for 2018
Japan’s consumption of new rubber is estimated to have grown by 3.1 percent year-on-year in 2018, according to a report from the Japan Rubber Manufacturers Association (JRMA). This brings the year’s figures to 1,333,200 tons, representing a second consecutive year of growth after 2017 brought the sector’s first growth in six years. Heading into 2019, however, the JRMA expects that...
New Year’s Interview: JRMA President Ikuji Ikeda Discusses Priorities for 2019 – Part 2
Following his inauguration as president of the Japan Rubber Manufacturers Association (JRMA) last May, Ikuji Ikeda has been giving significant thought to where Japan’s rubber industry is headed. After hearing what Ikeda had to say on his role at the JRMA and the hidden potential of rubber, Japan Rubber Weekly found out his thoughts on development trends heading into this...
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...
Synthetic Rubber Shipping Volume Increases for Third Straight Term
The category-based shipping volume of synthetic rubber for January to March increased to 434,413 tons, up 4.4 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to the Japan Rubber Manufacturers Association (JRMA). Following the July–September and October–December quarters, this marks a year-on-year growth in volume for the third straight term in a row. Domestic shipping volume grew by 2.3...