News
Kuraray Co., Ltd. and Kuraray Trading Co., Ltd. have announced that the prices of COMOGLAS PMMA (methacrylic resin) extruded sheets and PMMA cast sheets will go up, beginning with shipments on October 12, 2004.
COMOGLAS PMMA extruded sheets have excellent light transmission properties and thickness accuracy, and are easily used in bonding and heat molding processes. Demand for these materials is expanding due to their increasing use in light guides for liquid crystal displays of personal computers and televisions, in rear-projection television front plates, and in a range of other optical applications.
The high purity of PMMA cast sheets gives them excellent surface properties. In addition, they are easily colored and have high heat resistance. For these reasons, demand for these materials for use in displays, molded signboards, and sanitary facilities is growing.
Flourishing demand for PMMA sheets particularly in optical materials and the transparent resin field has kept the supply-demand balance tight in Japan and the rest of Asia.
However, prices of crude oil and naphtha have once again begun to rise, and the important materials, acetone and methanol remain on a steep upward trend. As a result, the profitability of both domestic and overseas sales of PMMA sheets has plunged drastically.
Kuraray and Kuraray Trading have both tried their utmost to avoid price increases by reducing costs. However, circumstances have exceeded their ability to hold the line on prices. In the interests of maintaining a stable supply of these materials, as well as remaining in the black, it is unfortunately necessary to adjust the prices of COMOGLAS PMMA extruded sheets and PMMA cast sheets.
Prices will be adjusted as follows;
- 1. Products involved
- Domestic and export shipments of COMOGLAS PMMA extruded sheets and PMMA cast sheets.
- 2. Scope of adjustment
- The price of domestic and export shipments of COMOGLAS PMMA extruded sheets will increase by 10%;
The price of domestic and export shipments of PMMA cast sheets will increase by 5%. - 3. Effective date
- These price changes will affect shipments from October 12,2004 forward.
