Japan's Mitsui Chemicals Plans to Exit Nitrogen Trifluoride Business by March 2026

Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. has decided to exit the nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) business. Currently, the business is produced by its wholly-owned subsidiary Shimonoseki Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. The business will stop production at the end of March 2026 and stop sales within the same year.

Mitsui Chemicals' VISION 2030 Long-Term Business Plan positions "Chemistry for Sustainable World" as the company's ideal vision. Mitsui Chemicals has positioned product portfolio reform as the basic strategy to achieve this plan, aiming to become a truly global specialty chemicals company through two pillars: a high-growth, high-profit global specialty chemicals business, and a sustainable green chemicals business centered on competitive derivatives.

The Semiconductor and Optical Materials Division of Mitsui Chemicals' ICT Solutions Division is engaged in business related to NF3, a gas used as a cleaner for semiconductor and liquid crystal display manufacturing equipment. However, the profitability of the business is under great pressure due to intensified price competition for overseas products, rising costs for raw materials and utilities, and rising costs such as maintenance. To this end, Mitsui Chemicals has made every effort to rationalize its business and reduce costs, but has now determined that it is unable to ensure the profitability level required to maintain this business and has therefore decided to exit the business.