The focus of the global rubber industry is shifting to Asia

Over the past year or so, the financial crisis that has engulfed the world has had an extremely serious impact on the world rubber industry. The rubber consumption in many developed countries has dropped dramatically. China alone has turned against the trend, presenting a thriving landscape, global rubber. The focus of industry is also shifting to Asia.

According to the latest figures published by the authoritative IRSG, the world's rubber consumption in the first three quarters of last year was 15.771 million tons, down 10.6% year-on-year; production was 15.742 million tons, down 10.1% year-on-year. Among the top 10 rubber consumption countries in the world, China's rubber consumption was 6.601 million tons, an increase of 20.1%, accounting for 38% of the world; the United States was 15.11 million tons, a decrease of 26.8%; Japan was 1.083 million tons, a decrease of 29.7%; India was 902,000 tons, an increase of 2.2%; Brazil is 50.7 million tons, down 24.3%; Germany is 445,000 tons, down 26.2%; South Korea is 403,000 tons, down 23.8%.

In terms of rubber production, China’s performance has also attracted attention. In the first three quarters, China's synthetic rubber production was 2.12 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 23.3%, accounting for 23.7% of the world; the United States was 1.45 million tons, a decrease of 21.3%; Japan was 910,000 tons, a decrease of 27.8%; South Korea was 820,000 tons, an increase 5.1%; Russia was 732,000 tons, down 22.1%. China's natural rubber production increased by 12.5%, surpassing Vietnam's by 410,000 tons to advance to the fifth place in the world. Among the world's first to fourth places are Thailand, 2.149 million tons, down 8.9%; Indonesia, 1.987 million tons, down 7.3%; Malaysia, 618,000 tons, down 29.2%; India, 536,000 tons, down 10.8% .

It is estimated that the actual consumption of rubber in the world in 2009 will be around 20.6 million tons, a decrease of 9.1% from the previous year; rubber production will be 20.9 million tons, a decrease of 8.4%. The global rubber industry, after being severely hit by the financial crisis, will further tilt to emerging Asian countries and regions. At present, Asia has become a central region of global rubber production and consumption. The world’s top 10 rubber consumer countries in Asia accounted for 7 and consumed more than 60%; the top 10 synthetic rubber producing countries are in Asia, and their output accounts for 48% of the world’s total production. Only China, Japan and Korea accounted for 45 %; 92% of natural rubber production is concentrated in Asia, while Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia account for 70% of the world.

In 2009, China took the lead out of the gloom of the world financial crisis. Its GDP growth rate reached 8.7%, and its production and sales volume exceeded 13.7 million vehicles, bringing new vitality to the rubber industry. 2010 will be China's rubber industry ushered in a year of greater development opportunities, rubber consumption is expected to close to 7 million tons.

In 2010, China's synthetic rubber production capacity will exceed 3 million tons. The new 100,000 tons/year milk polybutadiene butadiene rubber plant of Qilu Petrochemical has been put into operation, with a total capacity of 300,000 tons/year; Lanzhou Petrochemical has put in place 5 million tons/year of new milk polybutadiene butadiene styrene rubber in operation. Tens of tons/year nitrile rubber plant built; Baling Petrochemical's styrene-butadiene-styrene rubber (SBS) expanded from an annual capacity of 120,000 tons/year to 200,000 tons/year with a total capacity of 230,000 tons /year; Xinjiang Dushanzi Petrochemical newly builds 180,000 tons/year plant to start production with a total capacity of 230,000 tons/year; Sichuan's 150,000 tons/year of butadiene rubber and Liaoning Fushun's 200,000 tons/year of milk polybutadiene-butadiene The rubber is about to be completed; Shanxi Synthetic Rubber has added 30,000 tons/year of new equipment to the original 30,000 tons/year of neoprene rubber production line. In addition, Bridgestone's Huizhou Synthetic Rubber's 50,000 t/y solution styrene-butadiene rubber and Shenhua Chemical's Nantong 50,000 t/y new butadiene rubber unit have also joined the ranks of production.

At the same time, China's natural rubber production is expected to reach 650,000 tons this year, and rubber planting area will be expanded from 680,000 hectares three years ago to 930,000 hectares.

Chinese enterprises have begun to make progress in rubber production. More than 30 companies headed by Yunnan Rubber Investment Co., Ltd. have built natural rubber plants in Laos and Myanmar. Guangdong, Hainan agricultural enterprises are also in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia. The country has invested in the construction of natural rubber gardens, and the number has reached 30-40. Only Hainan Agricultural Rubber Co., Ltd. has a planting area of ​​200,000 mu outside the country and can process 20,000 tons of natural rubber every year. In addition, Shandong, the main tire production base in China, has also invested in self-built rubber plants in rubber-producing countries in order to seek self-supply ratios for tire raw materials.