Sumitomo forms JV with Thailand's NFC for sulfuric acid tank terminal business

Expanding business foundations across Asia with Thailand as strategic hub

Sumitomo Corporation has established a joint venture with Thailand's tank terminal operator NFC Public Company Limited to operate a sulfuric acid tank terminal business. By acquiring a strategically located terminal and leveraging its expertise in sulfuric acid terminal operations, Sumitomo Corporation aims to enhance operational safety and logistics service reliability, while creating a hub for an expanded business footprint across neighboring Asian countries.

NFC is a logistics-focused company engaged in warehousing, tank terminal operations for sulfuric acid, ammonia and gasoline, alongside ammonia distribution. Its tank terminal is located in Map Ta Phut Port in Rayong Province, offering excellent access to eastern Thailand, an area densely populated with petrochemical facilities and robust sulfuric acid demand. The terminal also benefits from NFC's extensive operational experience, ensuring reliability and stable performance.

This new joint venture represents a step forward in reinforcing logistics infrastructure in Thailand, where Sumitomo Corporation had already been active in sulfuric acid distribution. By acquiring a local terminal, the company will strengthen its base in Asia, a strategic focus region. Through service enhancements supported by Interacid's operational expertise, Sumitomo Corporation will expand its logistics capabilities in Thailand and, in the future, seek to broaden its sulfuric acid terminal business across other Asian countries by strengthening ties with regional suppliers.

Sumitomo Corporation Group oversees Interacid Group , a major global sulfuric acid trading company operating in 16 countries. Interacid handles approximately 30% of the world's marine sulfuric acid trade and is known for both its trading functions and ownership of storage tanks. This enables the group to offer flexible procurement and supply services, reliably delivering required volumes to customers as needed. Since the 2010s, Sumitomo Corporation has enhanced its supply chain by expanding into distribution in Thailand and acquiring a tank terminal business in the United States, strengthening functions across procurement, sales, storage and logistics.