Volume 4 Issue 1

Chinese Suppliers Struggle to Build Brands

Many Chinese lubricant suppliers spend considerable time trying to figure out how to develop a successful brand in the country's highly homogeneous market. According to speakers at a recent industry forum in Xian, there are few shortcuts to that goal, as effective strategies require time and resources.

Moresco Sets Up Shop in India

Japan-based Moresco is expanding its market in Asia with a new subsidiary in India this month to manufacture and sell industrial lubricants, the company said in a press release.

Handi Inks Plan for China's Largest Base Oil Plant

Hainan Handi Sunshine Petrochemical Co. signed a deal with the Bank of China and Yangpu, Hainan province government agencies last week to advance its plan to increase its annual capacity by more than 1.5 million metric tons of API Group II/III feedstocks at what will be Chinas largest base oil plant.

Lube Association Formed in Tianjin

A local lubricant and grease association was recently founded in Tianjin, China, a city near Beijing that has attracted a growing number of blenders.

Briefly Noted

Yongcheng Coal & Electricity Holding Group and Sinopecentered a technical agreement involving hydraulic fluids used at YongCheng coal-washing facilities. The Asia-Pacific region, and India in particular, leads the world in demand for palm methyl ester, which is used primarily in automotive lubricants formulations and has been forecasted by Zion Market Research to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 5.1 percent worldwide.