Abu Dhabi Exports Office (ADEX), the export-financing arm of Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, on Wednesday (17 February 2021) signed a AED 22 million (USD 6 million) loan agreement with the Egypt-based Emirati firm Jenaan Pipes & Irrigation Systems SAE.

On 22 February 2021, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and Cooper Tire & Rubber Company announced that they have entered a definitive transaction agreement under which Goodyear will acquire Cooper in a transaction with a total enterprise value of approximately USD 2.5 billion.

A subsidiary of Thai conglomerate SCG Group is set to buy a 70 percent stake in Vietnam’s Duy Tan Plastics. SCG Packaging Public Company Ltd (SCGP) said in a statement the deal, whose value it did not disclose, is expected to be completed in mid 2021.

The Krahn Chemie Group, which is part of the globally operating Otto Krahn Group, has acquired majority stakes in six companies from Jollis AB & Partners, Sweden.

Glove maker Careplus Group Bhd said is targeting to complete the installation of ten new production lines by June this year, boosting its total capacity by a third. The company currently operates 30 production lines with a total capacity of 4.86 billion pieces of gloves a year.

The Chemicals Business of SCG said it recently unveiled its new chemical recycling technology that can turn postconsumer plastics into renewable feedstock for petrochemical plants, and is set to start-up Thailand’s “first” demonstration plant. Located in SCG’s Rayong complex, the demonstration unit will produce approximately 4,000 t/y of renewable feedstock, with plans for future expansion. Start-up is expected by the second half of this year.

Specialty chemicals company Lanxess has signed a binding agreement to acquire 100 % shares in Emerald Kalama Chemical on 14 February 2021.

Trinseo continues to evaluate the potential divestiture of the Synthetic Rubber segment. This was stated in the company’s fourth quarter and full-year 2020 financial results report on 3 February 2021. Synthetic Rubber net sales in 2020 of USD 102 million for the quarter increased 2 % versus prior year. Higher S-SBR and E-SBR sales volume and favourable currency increased sales by 16 % and 7 %, respectively. These impacts were mostly offset by lower pricing from the pass through of lower raw materials. Demand in the tire market was consistent with the third quarter.

Dr. Darijo Mijolović is taking over the management of Gummiwerk Kraiburg GmbH & Co. KG in Waldkraiburg, Germany, and its subsidiaries in Bulgaria and Russia on 1 March 2021. He succeeds Helmut Esefeld, who has successfully managed the company since 2006 and is now going into retirement.

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. announced that its domestic tyre mould production subsidiary Yokohama Mold Co., Ltd. (YMC) will expand production capacity at Yokohama Mold (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (YMTC), the group’s mould production subsidiary in Thailand. The capacity expansion is aimed at strengthening the group’s supply chain in the ASEAN region. Construction of the new facilities began in January 2021, with completion planned for the end of this year.