BASF's brake fluid targets China's retail market

Germany's chemical giant BASF unveiled a new version of brake fluid for China's automotive retail aftermarket, as the demand for brake fluid in China has been growing.

Increasing demand for motor vehicles, especially in China, has led to a continuously growing demand for brake fluids from 2010, and the market demand is expected to double in a few years, says Wei Tongwei, former secretary-general of the China Automotive Maintenance and Repair Trade Association.

The brake system is one of the most important safety features of a vehicle. Therefore, it needs to meet the high standards required by the automotive manufacturers, the automotive industry and automotive safety legislation, he says.

BASF unveiled its new one-liter packaging of its premium brake fluid Hydraulan® 404 for the Chinese aftermarket on Aug 11. The new packaging is bilingual to specifically address local market needs and provide convenience for Chinese body shops.

With the global know-how of its chemists and technicians, BASF has been setting the market standard of brake fluids for more than 60 years, says Alice Wong, vice president, Fuel and Lubricant Solutions Asia Pacific, BASF East Asia Regional Headquarters Ltd.

To be near to its markets and customers, BASF inaugurated brake fluid production at its Pudong site, in Shanghai in 2013.

"We invest locally to support the growth of our customers in the automotive industry," added Wong.

The viscosity and boiling points determine the performance of a brake fluid. Hydraulan® 404 premium brake fluid provides a boiling point of at least 265°C and a wet boiling point of at least 175°C, delivering reliability to the brake system.

With major investments in Nanjing, Shanghai and Chongqing, BASF is one of the largest foreign investors in China’s chemical industry. BASF posted sales of over €5.7 billion in 2015 to customers in Greater China, and employed 8,416 people as of the end of that year.