General Merchandise

ITOCHU Australia's Forest Products Division has extensive involvement throughout the Australian forest products industry. To supplement ITOCHU's expertise in marketing and sales, it is ideally positioned with significant investment in infrastructure to benefit from existing forestry operations. This infrastructure and current strategic alliances place ITOCHU at the forefront to capitalise on any future markets developed throughout Australia.

ITOCHU Australia currently exports hardwood and softwood resources from five Australian ports, in four Australian States. ITOCHU has Joint Venture companies with some of Australia's leading logistics companies to supply logistics solutions, port operations and port services for the export of resources throughout Australia.

ITOCHU has a Joint Venture plantation company with Oji Paper Co.Ltd. This company is committed to establishing and growing approximately 24,000 hectares of Eucalypt plantations as a renewable resource. ITOCHU is also involved in the planning, harvesting and processing of these plantation resources. The processing involves Australia's first chip mill specifically designed to process only plantation grown hardwood.

ITOCHU also has a Joint Venture company with Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd., which is one of Australia's largest and longest established exporter of woodchips. The company is involved in integrated logging operations in New South Wales and Victoria and they are currently increasing the export volume of resource derived from naturally seeded forest to successfully meet the needs of the pulp and paper industry.

Furthermore, ITOCHU is developing business within the paper and paper products industry, utilizing ITOCHU’s global trading network to source and supply a wide range of products from high quality, stable and reliable sources.

ITOCHU is also developing business opportunities within the Australian building materials industry, utilising ITOCHU’s global expertise.

C.I. Ceramics Australia Pty. Ltd (CICA)

C.I. Ceramics Australia Pty. Ltd (CICA) is a subsidiary of ITOCHU Corporation, Japan. The CICA company was established in June 1990, assuming responsibility for sales of Krosaki Harima Corporation refractory products in Australia and New Zealand. Refractory material product range includes : Alumina, Magnesia, Silica, Zircon, SiC, Spinel, Carbon containing refractory bricks and shapes. Application : Iron & Steel, Glass, Cement, Mineral Processing, Power generation, reheat furnaces.

Through ITOCHU Ceratech Division, CICA also supplies a range of technical and engineering ceramic materials. Ceramic material product range includes : Powder (alumina, zirconia, mullite etc); mill linings and grinding media (alumina, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, sialon, Yttria/Magnesia stabilised zirconia); furnace tiles; specialty shapes.

CICA can also supply mechanical and engineering equipment for specialty applications such as lifting devices, tuyeres for blast furnaces, annealing furnace equipment, etc.

CICA have a well-trained and experienced technical support team committed to customer support through assistance with design advice, product monitoring and performance, product development and customer process improvement.

The CICA company also operates 2 joint venture companies at Albion Park Rail, NSW :

1. Krosaki/C.I.Ceramics (Aust.) Pty. Ltd.

A joint venture company with Japan's Krosaki Harima Corporation manufacturing monolithic and pre-cast products for the Australian steelmaking industry, from Mini-Mills to large integrated steel plants.
The Albion Park Rail manufacturing facility is ISO9001:2000 accredited, and all stages of production from batching, mixing, casting and drying to 350oC/400oC are controlled and monitored by computer network systems and qualified personnel.

2. Sakai/C.I.Ceramics (Aust.) Pty. Ltd.

Sakai/CICA was established by Sakai Chemical, Japan, and CI Ceramics (Aust) Pty. Ltd. to manufacture products in Australia.

Sakai/CICA is the major supplier of Continuous Casting mould flux to the Steel making industry. The Sakai/CICA facility has a fully equipped laboratory, including XRF and XRD, for product certification and ongoing research & development.