Mitsui Chemicals Expands Automotive Use Polypropylene Production in the U.S. and Mexico

Mitsui Chemicals (TOKYO:4183) (President & CEO: Toshikazu Tanaka) and Prime Polymer, a Mitsui Chemicals subsidiary, announced a 21,000 ton augmentation of polypropylene production in the United States (Advanced Composites) and a 13,000 ton augmentation in Mexico (Advanced Composites Mexicana) to meet growing demands of the automotive materials sector.

Advanced Composites (Mitsui Chemicals subsidiary), Ohio, USA (Photo: Business Wire)

The Mitsui Chemicals Group targets strengthening and further production expansion of its already global top class competitive polypropylene for automotive materials, currently manufactured in eight major world markets (Japan, United States, Mexico, Brazil, Europe, India, Thailand, and China).

Although the North American automotive industry was negatively impacted by the Global Financial Crisis, the market has returned to normalcy with forecasts of significant growth in the future.

"The planned augmentation will strengthen Mitsui Chemicals’ current top class position in the North American market and thereby make it better able to contribute to global strategies of automobile manufacturers,” says Akio Ayukawa, Managing Executive Officer at Mitsui Chemicals. "In addition, by reinforcing R&D functions at strategic sites, Mitsui Chemicals will strengthen its ability to support diverse local market strategies of automobile manufacturers.”

Mitsui Chemicals and Prime Polymer will continue to strategically intensify and expand operations through ongoing collaboration and reinforcement of production, sales, and technological support structures necessary in providing state-of-the-art, performance-driven materials.

About Mitsui Chemicals

Mitsui Chemicals (TOKYO:4183) (ISIN:JP3888300005) contributes broadly to society by providing high-quality products and services to customers through innovations and creation of materials and products while keeping in harmony with the global environment. Mitsui Chemicals’ business portfolio includes healthcare, automotive materials, food packaging, energy, agrochemicals, and others.

The Mitsui Chemicals Group traces its origins back to 1912. The Group now has over 135 companies and around 14,000 employees in 27 countries worldwide. In the fiscal year ending March 2013, the Group posted consolidated sales of US$ 14,952 million.

More information can be found at http://www.mitsuichem.com/index.htm

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