Trinseo and Sumitomo Chemical enter share transfer agreement

Sumika Styron Polycarbonate currently produces polycarbonate resins at production facilities in Niihama City, Ehime, Japan, and serves customers and markets throughout Asia. In addition to the sale of Trinseo’s ownership in the joint venture, the parties have agreed to continue long term supply of polycarbonate resin to Trinseo’s performance plastics businesses and as such will maintain the strategic relationship between SSPC and Trinseo.

“Sumitomo Chemical is a natural owner for this Japan-based polycarbonate plant, and as an industry leader in the region, Sumitomo Chemical is better positioned to manage and deliver value from this asset in the future,” said Tim Stedman, Senior Vice President and Business President for Basic Plastics and Feedstocks, Trinseo. “At the same time, Asia Pacific continues to be an important growth region for Trinseo, and the company is strongly committed to growing our Performance businesses in the region.”

“We highly appreciate the long term relationship with Trinseo and respect the decision by them. We will explore opportunities of further expanding polycarbonate business by leveraging technical capabilities we have developed long time, as petrochemicals and plastics sector has a broad product portfolio,” said Tomohisa Ohno, Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer of Sumitomo Chemical.

The transaction is expected to close on 31 January 2017. Terms of the agreement are not disclosed.

Following the close, it is expected that SSPC will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical. SSPC will continue to operate and will be renamed Sumika Polycarbonate Limited after a transitional period.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/petrochemicals/26012017/trinseo-and-sumitomo-chemical-enter-share-transfer-agreement/