The tender offer was slated to begin at the end of last year but JIC in December postponed it, citing a delay in a Chinese antitrust review as the reason.

JSR, a major maker of photoresists used in chipmaking, announced last June it would be acquired by JIC, which is overseen by Japan's industry ministry, in a $6.4 billion deal aimed at driving consolidation within the sector.

(Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Kim Coghill)