HOME > Business Divisions / Chemicals & Plastics Division > Major Business Activities
Sojitz Cosmetics Corporation
Major cosmetics products from Sojitz Cosmetics Corporation (Belle Cio brand)
Sojitz Cosmetics Corporation was launched in April 2007 after assuming operations once conducted by Sojitz Corporation's Cosmetics Department. Drawing synergies between marketing functions that accurately read market trends, product development capabilities in offering safe and highly functional products, and Sojitz' procurement capabilities for cosmetic raw materials, the company is supplying customers with excellent cosmetics that satisfy their needs.
Industrial Minerals Business
Mine operated by a dolomite production company invested in by Sojitz
In this business, Sojitz handles a variety of industrial minerals for which it enjoys significant market shares, including fluorspar, bauxite, vermiculite, bentonite, ilumenite, and zircon. We gained a secure supply source for dolomite by taking an equity stake in a related mining company in China. This step has enabled Sojitz to accelerate the supply of this secondary raw material used in steel manufacturing for import to Japan and to the domestic Chinese market.
Chlor-alkali Business
Plant operated by Braskem, a Brazil-based EDC producer
Sojitz boasts a leading position among trading companies in the handling of industrial salt, the key raw material for inorganic chemicals; its derivatives such as caustic soda, soda ash and other alkali products; and chlorinated products like EDC (the raw material for PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)) and chlorates. In the industrial salt and EDC business, Sojitz invested in producers in Australia and Brazil, respectively, and has over many years accumulated a strong track record of shipments to Japan and other parts of Asia.
Chemical Tank Business: Supporting Global Marketing in Liquid Chemicals
Sojitz Chemical Distribution Service Co., Ltd. of Vietnam
Sojitz operates chemical tank facilities with a total capacity of more than 100,000kl across eight countries worldwide including Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand. This makes the division one of the leading players among trading companies in the field in terms of capacity. Sojitz maintains distribution bases to ensure the stable trade of liquid chemical products. Among Japanese trading companies, Sojitz has the largest share in imports of industrial-use ethanol to Japan. In Vietnam, where demand for chemical products is climbing in step with economic growth, we are expanding our reserve capacity, ensuring stable supplies for current customers, while taking steps to further increase sales.
Metton® Business: A New Environmentally Friendly Molding Material
Large truck components made possible thanks to the design potential of Metton® plastic
As a strategic business in its organic chemicals operations, Sojitz owns Metton America, Inc., its subsidiary manufacturing Metton® resin in the U.S. As a liquid resin, Metton® facilitates molding of large and complex components and offers excellent shock resistance. Since Metton molding eliminates the use of glass fiber, it is eco-friendly in recycling and fuel consumption due to less weight compared with the other resins for the same mechanical performance. Its use as a new material in the U.S. and Europe is expanding rapidly: applications include components for large trucks, as well as for construction and agricultural machinery.
Fertilizer Business
Chemical fertilizer from Thai Central Chemical Public Co., Ltd.
Sojitz produces and sells 1.8 million tons of chemical fertilizer annually through Thai Central Chemical Public Co., Ltd. in Thailand, AFC Fertilizer and Chemicals Inc. in the Philippines, and Japan Vietnam Fertilizer Company in Vietnam. Through these companies, Sojitz contributes to agricultural development in Asia as the largest chemical fertilizer producer in Southeast Asia. As the global population increases and demand for crops for use as fuel rises, greater growth in agricultural output will be critical to meeting emerging needs. Accordingly, we expect to see increased demand for fertilizer in the years to come.
Methanol Business
KMI methanol manufacturing plant
P.T. Kaltim Methanol Industri (KMI), in which Sojitz is the major shareholder, has been involved in the manufacture of methanol in Indonesia since 1998. KMI sells approximately 670,000 tons of methanol annually to markets throughout Asia, where its close proximity to demand centers, stable operations, and high quality have won it a strong reputation in these markets. In addition to its traditional use as a raw material in a vast range of chemical products, methanol has recently gained attention in environmentally friendly energy products such as bio-diesel and DME (Dimethyl Ether).
FPD (Flat-panel Display)-related Businesses
Organic EL panels
Sojitz Pla-Net Corporation has positioned the FPD sector as a site for strategic business expansion. Most notably, the company is eyeing sales of liquid crystal, oriented film and other FPD-related materials to Taiwan, where the industry is amassing a presence. To expand initiatives targeting the next generation of new technologies and materials like organic EL, which have gained much attention of late, the company is pursuing partnerships with prominent basic material manufacturers, as well as capital and business tie-ups with related venture firms.
Automotive Component-related Businesses
Automotive components
Amid global market growth in the automotive sector, Sojitz Pla-Net is selling plastic raw materials, components and related products mainly to Japan, China and other Asian markets. Particularly in the Southern China region, where growth in automobile production volume has risen rapidly, the company is leveraging Group companies such as Takagi Auto Parts (Foshan) Co., Ltd., Nanhai Huada-Takagi Mold Co., Ltd., and Sojitz Plastic (Shenzhen) Ltd. to develop a framework for supplying raw materials, components, molds, and a host of other products.
OEM Business
Containers for transporting color filters
Based on the needs of its business clients, Sojitz Pla-Net handles, on a consignment basis, design through to production of containers for transporting silicon wafers, FPD glass substrates and other products that require high levels of cleanliness. The company is extending its reach into two new sectors, photovoltaic cells and amusement, where high growth rates are anticipated going forward.
Plastics Resin Business
VMI warehouse in Europe
Sojitz Pla-Net's involvement in plastics goes beyond the automobile sector. As another core operation, the company does substantial business selling plastic resin to the home electronics and OA equipment sectors. In overseas markets where further growth is expected, Sojitz Pla-Net supplies plastic resin from its plastic compound (premold materials) manufacturing bases and plastic sales subsidiaries. Furthermore, by strengthening logistics functions such as VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory), Sojitz Pla-Net is striving to build a framework for supplying plastic resin to business clients worldwide.
Packaging Materials Business
Sojitz Pla-Net's Naruhotto brand products
In the packaging materials business, Sojitz Pla-Net conducts a wide range of businesses, from the supply of plastic materials and facilities to production of finished products, covering everything from food and generalpurpose products through to industrial-use applications. This is especially the case with food products, where it supplies high-oxygen barrier EVOH plastics, and in the medical sector, where it sells compound films with outstanding moisture-blocking properties and other high-performance products. Meanwhile, Sojitz Pla-Net's Naruhotto brand containers, which have the ability to heat up container contents, were selected as one of the top 100 "Japanesque Modern" products. Encouraged by this recognition, we plan to take appropriate steps to cultivate this business.
