Explosion at a Chemical Plant! Mitsui Chemicals Plunges 71.9%! Boeing Supports Thermoplastic Composites

International News Guide：

Raw Materials News - Affected by Multiple Instabilities, Ethylene Industry Development May Stall in Europe

Aerospace News - Boeing Emphasizes at U.S. Senate Hearing That Thermoplastic Composites Simplify Aircraft Production

Exhibition News - Over 300 Exhibitors Gather! 2025 AMI Plastics World Expo Scheduled for November, Unlocking New Industry Trends

Macro News - Japanese Trade Representative: Confirmed with U.S. That 15% Tariff "Is Not Cumulative Imposition"

Price Information - CFR Northeast Asia $820/ton; CFR Southeast Asia $830/ton

International News Details：

Both revenue and profit fell: Q1 sales revenue was 415.4 billion yen, a decrease of 34.1 billion yen (7.6% drop) compared with 449.5 billion yen in the same period of the 2024 fiscal year; operating profit (before special items) was 26.6 billion yen, a year-on-year decrease of 3.6 billion yen (12.0% drop); net profit shrank sharply from 20.3 billion yen to 5.7 billion yen, nearly "halved", a plunge of about 71.92% compared with the net profit in the first quarter of the 2024 fiscal year.

3. DIC to Build New Epoxy Resin Production Facility in Japan

DIC Corporation announced plans to build a new epoxy resin production facility at its Chiba Plant in Japan, which is expected to start operation in July 2029. This investment will increase the annual production capacity of epoxy resins specifically used in the semiconductor industry by 59%.

The investment plan for the new facility has been approved by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry under the "Stable Supply Assurance Program", which is the background for DIC's decision to advance the project. As part of the program, DIC will receive a subsidy of up to 3 billion yen (approximately $20.3 million), highlighting the Japanese government's determination to safeguard national security through strengthened economic measures.

Currently, the existing epoxy resin production facilities at the Chiba Plant can no longer meet the expected surge in demand for these key materials. By building a new plant near the existing facilities, DIC aims to ensure additional epoxy resin production capacity from a medium- to long-term perspective.

4. Under the Shadow of Tariffs, U.S. Toy Market Grew Against the Trend in the First Half of the Year

According to the latest data from international consulting firm Circana, compared with January-April, the U.S. toy market still maintained an upward momentum in the first half of the year, with sales and sales volume rising by 6% and 3% respectively. This data is consistent with that of January-April, but the average price of products increased by 3% year-on-year in the first half of this year, 1 percentage point higher than that in January-April, which is the first significant increase in toy average prices in recent years.

Data source: Circana

5. Breaking! 1 Dead, 1 Injured! Explosion at a Chemical Plant!

At around 4:30 a.m. on August 7, the Kanto Denka Kogyo Shibukawa Plant in Shibukawa City, Gunma Prefecture, Japan, received a 119 call saying that "some buildings in the plant exploded". According to the prefectural police and the plant, a male employee (28 years old) was taken to the hospital but was confirmed dead, and another person was injured.

7. Boeing Emphasizes at U.S. Senate Hearing That Thermoplastic Composites Simplify Aircraft Production

Recently, Boeing Company CEO Kelly Ortberg emphasized the need to invest in thermoplastic composite (TPC) technology at a U.S. Senate hearing. TPC offers "significant advantages" and will "simplify aircraft production".

8. Over 300 Exhibitors Gather! 2025 AMI Plastics World Expo Scheduled for November, Unlocking New Industry Trends

The 2025 AMI Plastics World Expo will be held at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., from November 12 to 13, 2025, with over 300 exhibitors confirmed to participate.

Image source: Applied Market Information Ltd.

Overseas Macro Market:

[Japanese Trade Representative: Confirmed with the U.S. that the 15% tariff is "not cumulative"]

According to reports, Japan's chief trade negotiator, Ryoichi Akazawa, stated that U.S. officials have apologized for applying cumulative rules to Japan despite having an oral agreement and said that Washington will refund the excess taxes paid. Ryoichi Akazawa also confirmed that the U.S. has pledged to issue another order to reduce tariffs on automobiles and auto parts when revising the universal tariff executive order.

[Japanese Finance Minister: US Tariff Reduction Will Reduce Impact on Japan's GDP by 0.2 Percentage Points]

Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Kato stated that the reduction of US tariffs on automobiles and other related products from 25% to 15% will reduce the impact on Japan's real GDP growth rate by 0.2 percentage points. Even if the US lowers tariff rates, Japan's real GDP per fiscal year may still decline by 0.3% to 0.4%. The government will continue to analyze how tariff developments and other international developments will impact domestic industries and employment in Japan, and will take necessary measures.

[Turkey Initiates Anti-Dumping Sunset Review Investigation on Chinese-Related Plastic Pacifiers]

On August 7, the Turkish Ministry of Trade issued Announcement No. 2025/27 stating that, upon the request of Turkish manufacturers, an anti-dumping first sunset review investigation has been initiated on plastic pacifiers, plastic feeding bottles, breast pumps, and other breastfeeding and care products originating from China and Thailand. During the investigation period, the current anti-dumping duties will remain in effect. The announcement is effective from the date of publication.

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