The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) reports that the world production of natural rubber (NR) fell 8.7%, year-over-year, during Jan-Aug 2020 to 7.778 million tons. Accounting a 3.8% fall anticipated in the remaining four months of the year, the total production during the full year 2020 is anticipated at 12.901 million ton reflecting a 6.8% fall from the previous year. This revised outlook of the world supply in 2020 is 1.9 percentage points lower than the outlook reported a month ago which was 13.149 million ton by representing a 4.9% fall.

The world consumption of NR fell 11.7%, year-over-year, to 8.151 million tons during Jan-Aug 2020. In view of restoration of economic activities across countries, and a faster-than expected economic recovery in China, the consumption sector is anticipated to perform relatively better during the remaining four months of the year by contracting only by 1.8%, year-over-year during the period. The world consumption outlook for the full year 2020 is marginally scaled up to 12.611 million tons by representing an 8.4% fall from the previous year. The outlook for 2020 reported a month ago was 12.544 million ton by representing an 8.9% fall from the previous year.

The ANRPC says that, broadly speaking, NR prices further improved during September 2020, at varying degrees across different grades and different physical markets. Among the various grades and markets, RSS3 grade at FOB Bangkok glared during September 2020 by averaging at 13.8% above the average it registered in the previous month (August 2020). Compared to the average prices in August 2020, the average prices during September 2020 were up 5.9% for STR20 at FOB Bangkok, 4.7% for SMR20 at FOB Kuala Lumpur, 3.5% for RSS4 at Kottayam local market in India, and 4.6% for latex-in-bulk at Kuala Lumpur local market.

The detailed analysis given in this issue of “Natural Rubber Trends & Statistics” will enable the users to get a clear understanding of the developments in NR markets across countries during September 2020, key drivers, and the undercurrents, both in the physical and futures markets. The short-term outlook helps in getting a clear understanding of the emerging trends along with the associated risk factors.

Article by ANRPC.