2019.6: The neoprene wetsuit industry is accelerating its migration to Southeast Asia
"SHEICO" have built factory in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. "Nam Liong" factory in Vietnam are also under construction, but their business in mainland China is gradually shrinking.
The industry leaders in mainland China have also begun to deploy in Southeast Asia. The Fujian “Yi Bao” factory in Vietnam has been officially in operation for some time.
It is expected that in the future, as in the 1990s, the neoprene wetsuit industry will shift from Taiwan and Hong Kong to mainland China, and the transfer of low-end products to Southeast Asia will be a trend. However, it is still to be seen whether it is possible to form a complete industrial chain because it is distributed in several countries.
2018.12: "YAMAMOTO" will increase the ex-factory price of neoprene material (amplitude: 15%)
Japan YAMAMOTO announced that it will increase the ex-factory price (amplitude: 15%) of neoprene materials (including sponge block, super composite skin, neoprene fabric, etc.) from February 1, 2019.
YAMAMOTO began manufacturing wetsuits in the 1960s and developed neoprene based on limestone production. In the 1990s, it pioneered super composite skin technology and is currently focusing on the production of neoprene materials.
It is expected that the increase in price of YAMAMOTO neoprene will trigger a chain reaction. Other manufacturers of neoprene materials will follow up to raise prices and cause downstream wetsuit manufacturers to increase the price of their final products (wetsuits and other products).
2017.9: "Yong Sheng" simulation Japan OK fabric (YOK) was developed and officially sold
Japan OK fabric has always been synonymous with high quality and high price. The problems of limited production, slow response and unguaranteed delivery time have been plaguing downstream factories in mainland China, but its high quality advantages have always been loved by end customers, let the relevant downstream factories only accept.
For a long time, Taiwan and China OK fabric manufacturers have been striving to improve, but there is always a certain gap that cannot be surpassed. Due to the huge demand, "Yong Sheng" Company was not afraid of hardships and difficulties, spent huge sums of money, continued research for more than three years, and failed many times during this period. In the beginning of 2017, we developed a product comparable to Japan OK fabric. After half a year's durability test, we confirmed that the technical indicators are same or close to Japan OK fabric. It is expected to be officially sold in batches in October.
"Yong Sheng" simulation OK fabric (YOK) can be laminated with neoprene and sold as neoprene fabric. It can also be sold as fabric alone. The price is about half that of Japan OK fabric (TORAY or SAWAMURA), and high degree of cooperation. It has a competitive advantage and is expected to greatly reduce the market share of Japan OK fabric and Taiwan TOK fabric in mainland China.
2016.7: "Technavio" has published a new market research report on the global neoprene market
Technavio expects global production capacity of neoprene to be flat during 2016-2020, but sufficient to meet global consumer demand during the forecast period. Asia accounts for the largest share of neoprene exports and imports. Asia is the largest importer of neoprene in 2015. It is also one of the largest exporters of neoprene. Japan accounts for 90%-95% of exports. Japan is a net exporter. Leading the global market, while other Asian countries (except China and Japan) are the largest importers.
Technavio announced seven major suppliers in the report. The report identifies suppliers based on experience, geographic location, product mix, financial and R&D revenues and market dominance.
2015.11: "Patagonia" launches plant based rubber (without neoprene) wetsuits
Patagonia announced that it will launch the world's first non-neoprene wetsuit made of plant material in the fall of 2016. The new wetsuits are made with a natural rubber developed by Patagonia’s partners at Yulex and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified by the Rainforest Alliance.
The new plant-based material pioneered by Yulex is sourced from a hevea plantation that is independently certified to the FSC standard by the Rainforest Alliance, ensuring that products are produced using environmentally responsible practices.
Patagonia claims that by using natural rubber in the wetsuits we are reducing the CO2 emissions required to produce traditional neoprene wetsuits by up to 80 percent.
2014.12: "DuPont" sells the neoprene business to "Denka Performance Elastomer LLC"
The DuPont Performance Polymers business announced that it has signed a contract to sell its neoprene business to Denka Performance Elastomer LLC. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed and are expected to be approved by the regulatory authorities in the first half of 2015.
Neoprene is a synthetic rubber that DuPont invented in 1931. DuPont's North American neoprene production plant is located in Louisiana and involves approximately 235 employees.
Denka Performance Elastomer LLC is a newly established joint venture, which is 70% owned by Denki Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha and 30% owned by Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
Denki Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha manufactures and markets a wide range of chemical products including neoprene, organic and inorganic materials, polymer processing, electronic materials and pharmaceuticals. It produces polychloroprene using the acetylene process at its plant in Omi, Japan.
