Synthetic rubber market
China produces more than 8 million tons of synthetic rubber
China is the world's largest producer and consumer of synthetic rubber. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the cumulative production of synthetic rubber in China in 2022 was 8.233,000 tons, down 5.7% year-on-year. From January to March 2023, China's cumulative production of synthetic rubber was 2,111,000 tons, an increase of 10.3%.
China's consumption of synthetic rubber is 7.85 million tons
China is the world's largest consumer of synthetic rubber, which is mainly used in the tire, shoe, hose, tape and other industries. In 2022, China's synthetic rubber consumption was 7.85 million tons, an increase of 9.3%. From January to March 2023, China's synthetic rubber consumption was 2 million tons, an increase of 4.7%.
China imported more than 7 million tons of synthetic rubber
As the domestic production of synthetic rubber can not meet the market demand, China needs to import a large number of synthetic rubber every year. In 2022, China's synthetic rubber imports were 7.36 million tons, an increase of 8.7%. From January to February 2023, China's synthetic rubber imports were 1.322 million tons, an increase of 10.8%.
China's main sources of synthetic rubber imports are South Korea and Japan
In 2022, China's imports of synthetic rubber from South Korea and Japan were 1 million tons and 700,000 tons, accounting for 13.6% and 9.5% of total imports, ranking first and second. Followed by Thailand, the United States and Taiwan, imports of 400,000 tons, 300,000 tons and 250,000 tons, accounting for 5.4%, 4.1% and 3.4%, respectively.
China's main synthetic rubber imports are styrene butadiene rubber
Among the synthetic rubber imported by China in 2022, the import volume of styrene butadiene rubber is 1.4 million tons, accounting for 19% of the total import volume, ranking first; Followed by butadiene rubber, the import volume was 600,000 tons, accounting for 16.2%; The third is ethylene propylene rubber, with imports of 450,000 tons, accounting for 12.2%.
