On December 5, 2025, Japanese chemical giant Asahi Kasei officially announced that it would cease production and operations of hexanediamine (HMD) products. This decision is at the heart of the company's business structure optimization plan, aiming to further improve capital efficiency and enhance overall profitability, with the related shutdown expected to be fully completed by April 2027.
Hexanediamine, as a key chemical raw material, is widely used in nylon 66 production, hexamethylene diisocyanate synthesis, and resin curing agent preparation. Asahi Kasei said that the withdrawal from the hexanediamine business is based on a comprehensive assessment of global market dynamics, industry competitiveness pattern and future capital investment needs, and is not affected by short-term operating pressure.
It is worth noting that Asahi Kasei has clearly promised that the suspension of the hexanediamine production line will not have an impact on the company's existing core business. Among them, the PA66 resin and fiber plant in Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, and the production site for hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and its derivatives in Hyuga City will continue to operate normally, and production plans and supply chain stability will not be affected. At the same time, all employees affected by the shutdown will be properly relocated through the internal job allocation mechanism to protect the rights and interests of employees.
This business adjustment is an important part of Asahi Kasei's structural reform under the framework of the Medium-Term Management Plan 2027. According to the plan, the company will focus resources on the four core development areas of pharmaceuticals, critical care, residential construction and electronics industries, and promote profit growth by optimizing the business portfolio and divesting non-core assets.
In fact, since 2025, Asahi Kasei has intensively launched a number of business optimization measures: it has successively announced its withdrawal from methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer, cyclohexyl methacrylate (CHMA), acrylic resin, and SB latex; announced a plan to reorganize the acetonitrile supply system and plan to close the Kawasaki refining plant; Sale of Daramic Company, which specializes in the production of lead-acid battery separator materials; At the same time, Pimel will expand its photosensitive polyimide production capacity and continue to strengthen the competitiveness of its high value-added core business.
Industry analysis pointed out that Asahi Kasei's withdrawal from the hexanediamine business is not only an inevitable choice for the company's own strategic focus, but also may have a certain impact on the supply and demand pattern of the global hexanediamine market. In the future, related industrial chain enterprises may face adjustments to the raw material supply pattern, and the industry competition situation is expected to be further reshaped.
Information source: Global Silicone Network, CHEMNET public information platform and related enterprise disclosures