Tokyo — Polyurethane production in Japan in May 2018 was 13.1% higher than in May 2017, according to figures from Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
In total, Japan produced 16.1kT of polyurethane in May 2018. This compares with 14.2kT in May 2017.
The country produced 10 kT of flexible foam in May 2018, up 700 tonne on the May 2017 figure. Japan produced 6.1 kT of rigid foam in May 2018 compared with 5 kT in the same month in 2017.
This is the 31st straight month that production has increased in the country, according MITI.
Growth in the first five months of 2018 is considerably faster than in the first five months of 2017. The first five months of 2017 saw average monthly growth of 8%. The average monthly growth in the first five months of 2018 was 11%
There is a two-month gap between the end of the reporting period and the information being published by MITI.