The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) has released its rubber trends for April. Key among the current data is that production peaked at 903,000 tons and demand hit 1.129 million tons, both a considerable increase compared with the same time last year. However, the markets were subject to considerable price volatility.
The organization notes that Covid-19 continues to wreak havoc on the market, not least because various countries have imposed different levels of restriction, which affects mobility, economic activity and thus NR demand. Specifically, measures introduced in rubber-producing nations such as Thailand, Indonesia and India have, says the ANRPC, the potential to cause a drop in production volumes in the second quarter of the year. However, increases in demand are being driven by economic activity in China and the USA.
