Asahi Kasei Chemicals held an opening ceremony on February 12, 2016 (local time), at Asahi Kasei Plastics Mexico S.A. de C.V., a subsidiary for sale and technical support of performance plastic compounds¹ owned through its US subsidiary Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, Inc. (APNA).

The ceremony was attended by some 70 people including government officials, customers, and other related parties from Mexico, the US, and Japan.

Continued demand growth for plastic compounds is forecasted in Mexico, where various manufacturing facilities are increasingly located, especially by US, European, and Japanese manufacturers in the automotive industry. To meet this growing demand, the new subsidiary in Mexico was established in June 2015 and began performing sales and technical support in September 2015.

Asahi Kasei Chemicals is focused on strategic global growth in the field of plastic compounding operations. The company has compounding facilities and sales offices in Japan, China, ASEAN countries, North America, and Europe, and continues to reinforce its global network to swiftly respond to customer needs. While Asahi Kasei Plastics Mexico enables an increased market share to be gained in the growing Mexican market for plastic compounds with marketing and technical service clearly focused on the needs of customers in Mexico, Asahi Kasei Chemicals will continue to study the possibility of local manufacturing of plastic compounds in Mexico.

Outline of the new subsidiary in Mexico

Corporate profile of Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, Inc.

1. ¹ Synthetic resin containing glass fiber, flame retardants, and other additives to provide additional performance characteristics.
2. ² Wholly owned subsidiary of Asahi Kasei Chemicals.