Recently, Mitsui Chemicals announced that the company will increase the price of polyurethane resin products from June 1 , with an increase of more than 20 yen/kg (about 1018 yuan/ton).
On March 28, Mitsui Chemicals Co., Ltd. announced plans to optimize the production capacity of its toluene diisocyanate (TDI) plant at Omuta Works in July 2025. TDI is used as a raw material for the production of polyurethane.
Mitsui Chemicals currently produces and sells TDI (120,000 tons per year) as a basic material for the isocyanate chain at the Omuta Plant. However, considering the supply and demand trends in Japan and overseas, Mitsui Chemicals decided that it would be optimal to reduce production by about 50,000 tons per year in the future.
As part of its Vision 2030 long-term business plan, polyurethane will be one of several businesses that Mitsui Chemicals needs to restructure as it positions itself as a foundation and green material development.
In addition to the upcoming optimization of TDI production capacity, the restructuring will also include the development of high value-added products, including high-performance methylene diphenyl diisocyanate and high-performance polyols such as polypropylene glycol. Through these efforts, Mitsui Chemicals will reduce earnings fluctuations, improve capital investment efficiency, and lay a business foundation for generating stable earnings.
Mitsui Chemicals also intends to transition to a circular economy by establishing a chemical recycling program for polyurethane foam and considering the use of ISCC PLUS-certified bio-based toluene produced at its Osaka plant to make more environmentally friendly TDI.