Global NR production likely to increase 3.7% in 2018: ANRPC

The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) has predicted that the global outlook of Natural Rubber (NR) supply in 2018 is anticipated at 13.784 million tonnes, up 3.7% from 13.287 million tonnes in 2017. During January-February 2018, the world NR production was 2.207 million tonnes, compared to 2.116 million tonnes during the same period in 2017, said the February 2018 Natural Rubber Trends and Statistics report by ANRPC.

“The world production of NR, including non-ANRPC member countries amounted to 2.207 million tonnes in the first two months of 2018, an increase from 2.116 million tonnes during the same period in 2017. During this period, production of NR fell 48.5% in China, 7.2% in Sri Lanka and 11.6% in Vietnam, while it rose in 8.6% in Thailand, 1.4% in Indonesia, 0.3% in Malaysia and 8.2% in India, on a year-to-year basis,” the ANRPC report said.

The world demand of NR was at 2.014 million tonnes during the first two months of 2018 against 1.999 million tonnes last year. The NR prices across the key physical markets have been hit followed by the events such as price fall in crude oil, strengthening of Japanese Yen and global equity market during the first two weeks in February 2018.

“The NR prices have shown a sign of improvement and posted an upward trend in price towards the end of February 2018, followed by a recovery in crude oil price and the global equity market. Slow production of NR is expected in the coming months in view of the seasonal rubber trees leaf-fall period in most of ANRPC member countries,” the report further said.