Basic Materials Business Sector
By leveraging the competitive advantage of our domestic bases and tapping into the Asian market in added-value fields, we aim to secure stable earnings and build a framework that serves as a cornerstone business and supports the Group as a whole.
Basic Information
Mission of the Basic Materials domain
Business vision
Despite the uncertainty and volatility in the environment surrounding this business, we are striving to further deepen its operations by continuing to implement thorough cost reductions, expand our differentiated products, and maintain our high operating rate by sticking to our local production for local consumption approach. In doing so, we aim to build a stable earnings base that is resistant to changes in market prices and the supply-demand balance.
Market analysis and strategies
Opportunities and risks
- Shift to the high-performance packaging domain/market
- Growing need to address environmental issues
- Influx of US shale and polyolefins
- Economic slowdown mainly owing to US-China trade friction
- Bulk and commodity product price volatility in Asia
- Influx of imported products and worsening export terms of trade due to the strong yen
- Shrinking domestic demand and slowing economic growth in China
Strengths
- Globally competitive naphtha crackers
- Metallocene and other polyolefin catalytic technologies
- Distinctive differentiated products and derivatives
- Global expansion of polyurethane system house business based on high-performance polyols
Basic strategies
Deepen our cornerstone business by completing its restructuring, strengthening cost competitiveness, expanding distinctive value-added derivative products, and actively addressing environmental issues
Specific strategies
Petrochemical feedstocks & licensing
- Further strengthen competitiveness of crackers and expand catalyst and licensing businesses
- Further deepen petrochemicals business, including production balance and distribution
Polyolefins
- Expand value-added fields using polyolefin catalytic technologies
- Build long-term relationships of trust with customers in Japan
- Enhance cooperation with the Mobility domain
Polyurethanes
- Accelerate global expansion leveraging advanced formulation design technology utilizing high-performance materials
- Expand eco-friendly products such as biomass-based polyurethane
Basic chemicals
- Secure stable earnings through implementation of thorough cost reductions, promotion of local production for local consumption, and reinforcement of derivatives
- Actively adopt AI, IoT, and other sophisticated production technologies
Strategic Product Lineups
Main Products
Petrochemicals
Ethylene, Propylene, High density polyethylene, Metallocene linear low density polyethylene (EVOLUE™), Linear low density polyethylene, Polypropylene, Olefin polymerization catalysts
Basic Chemicals
Phenol, Bisphenol A, Acetone, Isopropyl alcohol, Methyl isobutyl ketone, Purified terephthalic acid, PET resin, Ethylene oxide, Ethylene glycol, Hydroquinone, Meta/Para-cresol, Ammonia, Urea, Melamine, Semiconductor gas
