On May 26, Mitsui Chemicals announced it would withdraw from the business of nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃) which had been produced by 100% affiliated Shimonoseki Mitsui Chemicals.

As the reason for withdrawal, the company points out the difficult circumstances such as the worsening business profitability due to the intensified price competition with overseas products and the increased cost of raw materials and utilities. 

Under the aforementioned circumstances the company had been making efforts for every possible rationalization and cost reduction, but found it difficult to secure profitability necessary to continue the business and resulted in the decision of withdrawal. The production is planned to discontinue by March 2026 with a scheduled termination of sales within 2026.

The NF₃ business of the company started with its test production in 1987 of the Mitsui Toatsu periods. Then the product was designated as a new chemical substance under the Chemical Substances Control Law. 

In December 1989, NF₃ was released from the designated substances and since then the demand rapidly expanded as cleaning gas for plasma CVD chamber in the production of semiconductor. After 2000 the demand for thin-film transistor LCD (TFT-LCD) in addition to semiconductor increased up to 50%, During the most thriving period from 2010 to 2011, the domestic demand rose to a level of 1,600 tons per year. Mitsui Chemicals also developed to expand the production system and the production capacity of Shimonoseki Mitsui is 1,000 tons per year now.  

However, after 2012 the domestic production of TFT-LCD decreased greatly and the demand also stayed sluggish. Furthermore, in the midst of intensified competition with overseas companies like SK Specialty of Korea and others, the domestic production of TFT-LCD decreased greatly after 2012 causing the sluggish demand at home. Under the circumstances, Central Glass discontinued it production at Ube Plant in 2018.

After the withdrawal of Mitsui Chemicals, the domestic manufacturer of NF₃ will be Kanto Denka Kogyo only.

In addition, according to Mitsui Chemicals, as the withdrawal from the NF₃ business does not affect so much the total business performances of the Mitsui Group, there will be no amendment of the business forecast of the group.