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Compound rubber imports set to soar

(China Daily/Agencies)
Updated: 2009-11-05 08:44

China, the world's largest rubber consumer, is expected to import 950,000 tons of compound rubber this year, a surge of nearly 71 percent from last year, an industry report said yesterday.

Compound rubber contains 99 percent natural rubber and although prices are a few cents higher, it only attracts a 5-percent import duty in China versus up to 20 percent for natural rubber.

"Compound rubber import volume was increasing in recent years because the Customs tax was lower than (that on) natural rubber," China's Rubber Research Institute said in a report prepared for an international conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Compound rubber now competes with natural rubber in the export market, with many dealers in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia aiming to produce more to take advantage of China's import duty structure.

China bought compound rubber mainly from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and also the United States.

The country imports about half of what it consumes and expects demand for rubber to rise 8.5 percent to 6.4 million tons in 2010 because of strong growth in the country's auto sector, according to the China Rubber Industry Association.

Of the total demand, natural rubber will be 2.8 million tons and synthetic rubber will be 3.6 million tons, according to the association.

"The development of the auto industry is still the main driver for the development in China's rubber industry," said the association president Fan Rende earlier this year.

The Hainan-based research body also said that auto production was projected to rise to 12.5 million units this year from 9.1 million in 2008.

Related readings:  Rubber prices to rally on rising domestic car sales  US to restrict tire imports from China  China, Singapore firms sign MOU to enhance rubber trading  China to review Japan chloroprene rubber dumping

Domestic tire demand could help offset a drop in China's tire exports in 2010 and 2011, especially after the United States slapped new duties - a move which could also cut demand by 300,000 tons.

In September the United States imposed an additional duty of 35 percent on Chinese tires, besides an existing 4 percent duty. The extra duty would fall to 30 percent in the second year and 25 percent in the third year.

China has been a rare bright spot in the struggling global auto industry as government incentives spurred an increase in demand. China overtook the United States as the world's biggest automaker in January.

China consumes 16 percent of the world's natural rubber.

It imported 1.68 million tons of rubber in 2008, up 2.07 percent from the previous year, in which nearly half came from main producer Thailand, according to Customs data.