According to the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC), for the first seven months of 2017, the world production of natural rubber amounted to 6.838 million tonnes, including non-ANRPC member countries, while world consumption was recorded at 7.486 million tonnes. This resulted in a deficit in world supply of 648,000 tonnes in July 2017.
The favorable supply-demand fundamental from the deficit was unlikely to overrule the physical prices over negative sentiments in the NR market such as higher rubber inventories and stronger yen.
During July 2017, NR physical prices gradually improved followed by the recovery in crude oil price, especially during the first three weeks in July 2017. This also narrowed the price difference between the two major TSR grades, STR-20 and SMR-20. The rebound of NR prices was hit by the negative sentiment of higher rubber inventories in regional futures markets.
As a result, NR prices fell sharply and projected a downward trend in price over the last week in July 2017 across key physical markets in Thailand and Malaysia.
August 10, 2017
