Asahi Kasei will cease the production of tire cord fabrics in Japan

On July 14, 2023, Asahi Kasei Corporation of Japan announced that it will halt its cord fabric production business located in Miyazaki City in response to the current "increasingly challenging" trade conditions.

Asahi Kasei stated that the Japanese tire cord fabric market is being affected by a slump in car production and an increase in imports. Additionally, the recent rise in raw material and fuel prices has led to increased costs and a significant deterioration in profits.

Therefore, the corporation will cease tire cord fabric production at its Miyazaki City factory by March 31, 2024. The closure of the factory will be completed by March 31, 2025, and the 70 employees of the factory will be reassigned to other subsidiaries of the company.

Meanwhile, Asahi Kasei will shift its focus on polyamide fiber resources from general tire cord fabrics to safety airbags and specialty tire applications.

Asahi Kasei is currently constructing a safety airbag production factory in Vietnam and collaborating with Teijin in producing safety airbags in China.