Petrochemical insiders around the globe are coming to the conclusion that the tight supply–demand balance for ethylene, a base ingredient for petrochemical products, will continue through into the first half...
industry trends
Foreign Companies Eye Indian Chemical Market as Local Production Stagnates
The major players in India’s chemical industry, particularly in the basic raw materials sector, are state-run enterprises and local conglomerates. Foreign companies are rarely seen in the market. But now,...
Sustainable Agriculture Set for Growth in Japan – Part 2
While organic farming is projected to grow in Japan, there are those who point to the need to also promote other methods of environmental protection as a means of increasing...
Sustainable Agriculture Set for Growth in Japan – Part 1
Sustainable agriculture is poised to take off in Japan. Organic farming, the prime example of this approach, has finally begun to show signs of growth. The area of arable land...
Silicon Wafer Shipments up for Fourth Straight Year, Setting New Record
Business is thriving in the industry for silicon wafers, which are a core component in semiconductors. SEMI, a U.S.-based industry group for the semiconductor supply chain, announced on Feb. 7...
Mid-Tier Smartphones Represent Next Frontier for OLED Displays
A turning point is on the horizon for the small and midsize display market. Following Apple Inc.’s release of the iPhone X with a flexible OLED screen last November, OLED...
Industry Outlook 2018: Battery and AI Technology
In the bid to realize a smart society, expectations are on the rise for battery cell technology. The proliferation of renewable energies is moving forward, and photovoltaic (PV) cells continue...
The Story Behind Japan’s Recent Run of Data Falsifications
With Toray Industries Ltd. (TYO:3402) now joining the ranks of Kobe Steel Ltd. (TYO:5406) and Mitsubishi Materials Corp. (TYO:5711) in announcing data fraud by a subsidiary, concerns are growing over...
Polystyrene Shipments Hit 10-Year High Mark in October
Production and shipment data for general-purpose resin in October 2017 shows polystyrene (PS) shipments exceeding last year’s figures, marking a ten-year-high. The data, released on Nov. 16 by the Japan...
Japan’s Best Path Forward to Survive the Global Chemical Industry’s Changing Tides – Part 10
The birth of DowDuPont Inc. promises to be a game changer in the global chemical industry. And the impact from this appears yet to have fully played out, as this...
Japan’s Best Path Forward to Survive the Global Chemical Industry’s Changing Tides – Part 9
The birth of DowDuPont Inc. has dramatically changed the layout of the chemical industry across the industrialized world. But what are we likely to see develop from this now? More...
Japan’s Best Path Forward to Survive the Global Chemical Industry’s Changing Tides – Part 7
With DowDuPont Inc. now a reality, the global chemical industry finds itself in something of a final frontier in terms of company realignments. And this raises questions as to what...
Japan’s Best Path Forward to Survive the Global Chemical Industry’s Changing Tides – Part 6
The establishment of DowDuPont Inc. has brought about something of a final frontier in the restructuring of the globe’s chemical industry, raising questions as to what developments we can expect...
Japan’s Best Path Forward to Survive the Global Chemical Industry’s Changing Tides – Part 5
The birth of DowDuPont Inc. has brought about a final frontier of restructuring in the chemical industry across industrialized nations. But what are we likely to see develop from this...
Japan’s Best Path Forward to Survive the Global Chemical Industry’s Changing Tides – Part 4
The birth of DowDuPont Inc. has created something of a final frontier in the realignment of companies in the global chemical industry. One sector within this is petrochemical, which, similar...
Japan’s Best Path Forward to Survive the Global Chemical Industry’s Changing Tides – Part 3
The birth of DowDuPont Inc. has created something of a final frontier in the restructuring of the global chemical industry, including that of petrochemical. Can Japan’s companies in this sector...
Japan’s Best Path Forward to Survive the Global Chemical Industry’s Changing Tides – Part 2
With the birth of DowDuPont Inc. creating something of a final frontier in the restructuring of the global chemical industry, questions arise as to what developments we can expect to...
Japan’s Best Path Forward to Survive the Global Chemical Industry’s Changing Tides – Part 1
The birth of DowDuPont Inc. has brought us to the final frontier of chemical industry restructuring in industrialized countries. But what are we likely to see develop from this now?...
PVC Export Prices Continue to Rise in Asia
Export prices of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in Asia are continuing their upward trend. In India, the end of monsoon season saw the country’s PVC demand increase for October, and rising...
JPCA Chair: US Shale-Derived Polyethylene to Have Limited Impact on Domestic Market
Fully operational U.S. shale-derived ethylene facilities are expected to exert a short-term impact on the domestic Japanese polyethylene (PE) market, says Tsutomu Tannowa, chairman of the Japan Petrochemical Industry Association...
