Natural Rubber demand, production grow amid low prices

While natural rubber prices experienced a weak quarter in the first three months of 2018, global natural rubber demand grew 7.6 percent year-on-year to about 3.4 million metric tons for the period.

According to the latest figures published by the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries, NR supply also rose 3.3 percent to 3.2 million tons on a year-to-year basis. However, the favorable supply-demand fundamental did not reflect in rubber-price movements in physical market or in futures market, ANRPC said in an April 12 statement.

"This may result from the uncertain outlook over trade tension between China and U.S., worries of rising inventories in the futures market and a strong yen," the association said.

The impact of natural rubber prices on the global tire market will be among the issues discussed and debated at Future Tire Conference 2018, taking place May 30-31, during the Tire Cologne international trade fair in Cologne, Germany. Additional information about the conference, including a speaker agenda and registration information, is available at tyre-conferences.com/futuretire2018.