Sumitomo Chemical has decided to discontinue the production of EPDM at Chiba Works in Japan and to terminate sales of EPDM by the end of March 2023.
The company said that it has been working to increase the value added to its products and reduce manufacturing costs to strengthen the competitiveness of its EPDM business. The maintenance and repair costs of the production facilities for EPDM, however, which have been in operation for more than 50 years, is increasing year after year. Under these circumstances, Sumitomo Chemical explained that under these circumstances it is difficult to secure stable profits over medium to long term. Sumitomo Chemical’s EPDM production facilities started operations in January 1970. Annual production capacity is 40,000 t.
The company said that it will continue to direct its resources to fields in which it has competitive advantages, aiming to achieve sustained growth through creation of new value. Sumitomo Chemical offers a range of TPEs under the brand name Espolex.