TOKYO, March 18 (Reuters) - Japanese chip materials maker JSR said on Monday that state-backed fund JIC would launch a tender offer for its shares on March 19 as it no longer requires approval from Chinese regulators.

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

However in January, China revised upwards the threshold for requiring prior notification, clearing the way for JIC to launch its bid for JSR. JSR is a major maker of photoresists used in chipmaking. (Reporting by Sam Nussey; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Edwina Gibbs)