The world consumption of natural rubber increased by 6.2%, year-over-year, to 5.822 million tonnes during the period from January to May 2018. During the same period, the world supply rose 7.7%, year-over-year, to 5.252 million tonnes. These figures reveal that the production has fallen short of the consumption by 570,000 tonnes during the first five months of the current year.
This has helped to partly absorb the excess availability in the market. During the year 2018, the world production is anticipated to increase by 6.1% to 14.150 million tonnes and the world consumption to increase 6.9% to 14.300 million tonnes. The emerging scenario suggests a balanced demand-supply situation during 2018.
Although the period from the end of April has witnessed a sharp rally in crude oil prices, it failed to fuel a corresponding uptrend in natural rubber market. However, rubber prices performed marginally better during May 2018 as compared to April 2018. The marginal recovery was partly helped by the devaluation of Japanese yen which had a positive impact on the rubber futures at TOCOM.
The concerns over widening trade-war issues and the potential further revisions of policy interest rates by the US Federal Reserve keep sentiments down in most of the Asian commodities and natural rubber is no exception. More specifically, natural rubber market remains clouded by uncertainties largely due to factors external to the sector.
The analysis and data given in this publication could help to closely understand the prevailing situation in the market and the emerging scenario. ANRPC owes a debt of gratitude to its statistical correspondents in the member countries and the esteemed users of this publication.
Source: ANRPC