ANRPC: Natural rubber output will be up 1.8% in 2021

Global natural rubber (NR) production output will rise 1.8 per cent to 13.836 million tonnes by the end of 2021, according to figures compiled by the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) and published on 22 November 2021. However, while global output appears to have grown this year, full-year 2021 global demand projections point to growth of 8.3 per cent to 14.028 million tonnes. Therefore, demand still outstrips supply and so the resultant prices look likely to remain high.

According to ANRPC, natural rubber prices were mixed across physical and futures markets during October 2021. Prices of natural rubber futures are described as having “registered recovery from a fall last month across key markets namely Shanghai Futures Exchange, Singapore Exchange, and Osaka Exchange”, with growth at 9.0 per cent, 6.1 per cent and 10.3 per cent respectively during October 2021. However, prices of physical markets were down in Thailand and India with the exception of Malaysia which recorded an average price improvement of 6.7 per cent on SMR-20 and 5.0 per cent on Latex-in-bulk during the same period.