Japan’s market for ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) is tightening due to a number of factors, with trends in the COVID-19 pandemic top among this list. While demand for EPDM rubber did decline as a result of the virus, it has more recently been making a resurgence due to the turnaround in automotive production recovery that started last autumn. And...
supply and demand
Demand for Organic Rubber Chemicals Grows for Second Consecutive Year
Domestic Japanese demand for organic rubber chemicals came to 17,642 tons for calendar 2018, up by 1.5 percent year-on-year. This marks a second consecutive year of growth in the market, driven largely by strong production of rubber products. Strong results can also be seen in the month-by-month breakdown, with September, November and December being the only months to post negative...
Synthetic Rubber Demand Expected to Remain Strong Globally for Second Half
Demand for synthetic rubber is projected to keep up a strong performance for the second half of fiscal 2018, spanning October–March. While the first half of the fiscal year saw raw material cost trends drive falling profits in some areas, demand itself has been stable on the whole, with some product types continuing to see tightness in the supply–demand balance....
JATMA Releases Midyear Update to 2018 Tire Demand Forecast
The Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association (JATMA) has revised its forecast of tire demand for the business year through next March. Total domestic demand in the updated forecast – covering four-wheel vehicles, two-wheel vehicles and non-four-wheel specialty vehicles – was upwardly revised by 75,000 tires. But with higher figures having been confirmed for 2017 since the previous forecast, this still...
Rubber Industry Sees Solid Demand for Raw Materials in First Half
The first half of calendar 2018 has seen robust demand for raw materials in the rubber industry. This comes on the back of recovering applications in automobiles and tires – the main sources of demand for the materials – as well as strong demand for semiconductors. Due to a rise in the cost of crude oil, prices have increased for...
Sumitomo Chemical Looks to Expand Booming EPDM Business With High-Performance Grades
Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd.’s (TYO:4005) business for ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) performed well in fiscal 2017, operating at full capacity and selling all products that were produced. But with supply and demand remaining at a tight balance, the company has been unable to keep up with increasing demand, and expects this trend in demand to continue for fiscal 2018....