Production volume of automobile tires in Japan fell 3.6 percent year-on-year in 2016, dropping to 1.019801 million tons, according to the Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association (JATMA). It marks a fifth consecutive year of decline for automobile tire production. While 2016 production volume as a whole was marked with a negative record, coming on account of 21 consecutive months of...
Market Background
Japan’s Import Volume of Natural Rubber Drops 3.3% for 2016
Japan’s import volume of natural rubber (NR) for 2016 decreased 3.3 percent year-on-year, falling to 655,312 tons, according to data compiled by the Rubber Trade Association of Japan from the Trade Statistics of Japan. Import value decreased 23.6 percent, dropping to 99.59045 billion yen ($875.59 million). The average import price fell 20.9 percent to hit 152 yen per kilogram, dropping...
Prices Trending High for Natural Rubber, Synthetic Rubber
Natural rubber (NR) continues to trend at high price levels, currently running at around double those of early 2016. A steep run-up has come in a short period of time, spiking since last autumn. The high prices are set to strongly impact profit margins of rubber product manufacturers. Most notable are tire manufacturers, who make heavy use of NR. Current...
Rubber Belt Production for 2016 Ends 7% Down From Previous Year
The production volume of rubber belts for 2016 fell 7 percent from the previous year, dropping to 26,373 tons, according to statistics from the Japan Belting Manufacturers Association. Conveyor belt production declined 13 percent, down at 14,607 tons. This came as a consequence of a 16-percent year-on-year drop in exports, with a significant depression in exports for mines in Australia....
Escalating Butadiene Prices to Place Significant Pressure on Synthetic Rubber Manufacturers
The price of butadiene is increasing dramatically. After trending for some time at an Asian spot price near $1,000 per ton, the synthetic rubber raw material started on a rapidly ascending curve in autumn last year. It has resulted in a tripling in value, jumping to approximately $3,000 per ton. The sharp gain in butadiene will have a strong impact...
JRMA Forecast: Japanese Rubber Consumption to Bounce Back After Six Years
Rubber consumption will see its first annual increase in six years, according to a forecast by the Japan Rubber Manufacturers Association (JRMA). Combined total consumption of natural and synthetic rubber in 2017 is expected to reach 1.2932 million tons, up 0.6 percent year on year. However, total rubber consumption in 2016 is expected to fall for the fifth straight year,...