Overall

• Sales index: 132.1 (+10.6% year over year)
• Profit index: 135.2 (▲9.8% year over year)
• Sales index has exceeded the previous year for 8 consecutive quarters. Profit index was lower than the previous year for 2 consecutive quarters. The drop in demand had a particularly large impact on commodity chemicals, and utilization rates for naphtha cracker plants were low. Although sales amounts remained high due to higher selling prices and the weak yen, profits declined significantly due to high costs. The automotive industry is on the road to recovery, but supply constraints remain. The market was also affected by the decline in demand for electronic equipment due to a lull in nesting demand.

General-purpose chemicals

• Sales index: 133.3 (+12.0% year over year)
• Profit index: 126.9 (▲34.5% year over year)
• Sales index has exceeded the previous year for 8 consecutive quarters. Profit index was lower than the previous year for 2 consecutive quarters.

Specialty Chemicals

• Sales index: 149.5 (+11.6% year over year)
• Profit index: 154.5 (+12.1% year over year)
• Sales index has exceeded the previous year for 9 consecutive quarters. Profit index has exceeded the previous year for 10 consecutive quarters.