SoftBank Shares Slide as Oracle’s AI Spending Plans Fuel Market Jitters 
California Jury Awards $40 Million in Johnson & Johnson Talc Cancer Lawsuit 
Australia Enforces World-First Social Media Age Limit as Global Regulation Looms 
Trump’s Approval of AI Chip Sales to China Triggers Bipartisan National Security Concerns 
United Airlines Flight to Tokyo Returns to Dulles After Engine Failure During Takeoff 
Coca-Cola’s Costa Coffee Sale Faces Uncertainty as Talks With TDR Capital Hit Snag 
SpaceX Insider Share Sale Values Company Near $800 Billion Amid IPO Speculation 
China Adds Domestic AI Chips to Government Procurement List as U.S. Considers Easing Nvidia Export Curbs 
United Airlines Tokyo-Bound Flight Returns to Dulles After Engine Failure 
US Charges Two Men in Alleged Nvidia Chip Smuggling Scheme to China 
Moore Threads Stock Slides After Risk Warning Despite 600% Surge Since IPO 
SK Hynix Labeled “Investment Warning Stock” After Extraordinary 200% Share Surge 
CMOC to Acquire Equinox Gold’s Brazilian Mines in $1 Billion Deal to Expand Precious Metals Portfolio 
SoftBank Eyes Switch Inc as It Pushes Deeper Into AI Data Center Expansion 
Rio Tinto Signs Interim Agreement With Yinhawangka Aboriginal Group Over Pilbara Mining Operations 
Air Force One Delivery Delayed to 2028 as Boeing Faces Rising Costs 
Asahi Kasei Corporation, a chemical company based in Japan, announced it will build a new production plant in Canada where it will make parts for electric vehicle batteries. The company will then supply critical materials to Honda Motor’s EV factory, which will also be constructed in the country.
According to Nikkei Asia, Asahi Kasei will spend around $1.3 billion or 200 billion yen to construct its new battery component facility in the country. The Japanese firm reportedly aims to commence production at the plant in 2027.
Main Items to Be Produced at the Canadian Plant
The new facility will mostly make lithium-ion battery separators, an essential component in EV batteries. At any rate, it was noted that while the plant in Canada is being built, the company is already expanding its production capacity for the separators by establishing more facilities where the battery component is coated.
Asahi Kasei will invest about 40 billion yen more to double its production capacity by installing coating equipment at three other existing factories in South Korea, Japan, and the United States. These plants are expected to start operations between April and September 2026.
Partnership with Honda Motor and Other Japanese Manufacturers
Reuters reported that Asahi Kasei is mainly building the EV battery materials plant in Canada to supply its products to Honda Motor’s EV production factory in the region. However, aside from the said automaker, Asahi Kasei is also expected to supply the same battery materials to other Japanese companies, such as Panasonic Holdings, which is currently expanding its manufacturing base in the North American territory.
At one point, Asahi Kasei had the largest global share in the separator market. However, due to stiff competition with Chinese firms, its ranking slid to sixth place in 2022.
Photo by: Asahi Kasei Website
