Revision of Helium Sales Price

Revision of Helium Sales Price[Dec, 07, 2009]

Air Liquide Japan, Ltd. Japan Air Gases Co, and Air Liquide Kogyo Gas Ltd. have decided to revise the sales price of helium gas as follows

Products concerned:           All kinds of helium gas

Effective date for revision: Starting from the delivery on January 1st, 2010

Revised rate:                        Raise of the price by more than 15%

Reasons for revision:         Helium gas is one of the precious natural resources,
                                                produced in natural gas fields overseas and supplied
                                                after purification, and Japan is entirely dependent for its
                                                supply on imports mainly from the US and middle-east
                                                countries among others.
                                                Major energy companies which supply helium gas
                                                recently announced the price hike of helium gas for
                                                reasons of the rise in the production and supply costs.
                                                And our procurement costs for the gas have been sharply
                                                raised since then.
                                                Our company has been making our best efforts to lower
                                                such costs through logistics cost-reduction, optimization
                                                of filling stations and loss minimization so far.
                                                Nevertheless, we are afraid that we would have no other
                                                choice but to raise the sales price of helium gas in order
                                                to cover ever rising procurement costs.

Under the ongoing stringent economic circumstances, our company is determined to continue our every effort to curtail costs, improve efficiencies and develop new technologies and innovations. Although we truly regret that we have had to make this decision, we would like our customers and all the others whom it may concern to understand that this revision is an inevitable measure for us to provide our customers with high-quality and stable supply of our gases and services.

Air Liquide is the world leader in gases for industry, health and the environment, and is present in over 75 countries with 43,000 employees, and has been operating in Japan for more than 100 years. Japan Air Gases Ltd. was established in January 2003, on the purpose to integrate industrial and medical gas business of Air Liquide Japan, Ltd. (operation started in 1907) and Osaka Sanso Kogyo Ltd. (established in 1934). In 2007 it became a 100% Air Liquide Group Company as part of Air Liquide Japan Ltd. Air Liquide has committed to Innovation as its core value since its foundation, and today constantly pursues technological developments with 8 research centers, 5 engineering centers worldwide, and 2640 protected invention (as of 2008 end), spending more than 220 million euros (up to 30 billion yen) for Innovation in 2008, with particular focus on Life, Environment, and Sustainable Development.
KitaKyushu Oxyton is a joint venture between Air Liquide Japan (holding 79%) and Air Water, producing air gases, located in Kitakyushu-city, Fukuoka Prefecture.

Contact:
Toyoyama, Shun, Communication Dept., Japan Air Gases Company, Air Liquide Japan Ltd.
TEL:03-3536-2642 URL:http://www.japanairgases.co.jp/