22 December 2009
The Secretariat of the International Rubber Study Group (IRSG) publishes comprehensive data on production, consumption, trade and prices – covering both natural rubber (NR) and synthetic rubber (SR) – on a quarterly basis in its flagship documents, the Rubber Statistical Bulletin and the Rubber Industry Report, with the latter also containing the latest analysis and short-term forecasts. Concurrently, the Secretariat’s biannual World Rubber Industry Outlook presents the latest long-term forecasts for the next ten years, covering the world economy as well as the vehicle, tyre and rubber sectors, while the impact of a number of alternative scenarios on future rubber consumption and production are also considered.
The October-December editions of the Rubber Statistical Bulletin (RSB) and the Rubber Industry Report (RIR), as well as the December edition of the World Rubber Industry Outlook, are now available from the IRSG.
Global rubber consumption remained below a moving annual total of 20.8 million tonnes throughout the third quarter of 2009, with the year-on-year decline in consumption slowing marginally to -12.0% in September 2009, compared to a low of -12.8% reached in July. Global rubber production (both NR and SR) appeared to level off at 21.1 million tonnes during the third quarter, at which point the decline in output reached -10.9%; the last time a fall of this magnitude was recorded was in August 1975.
In the short term, following the declines seen in 2009, and assuming a relatively strong recovery in the world economy, global rubber consumption (both NR and SR) is forecast to reach 23.9 million tonnes in 2010, with NR production of 10.4 million tonnes. In the longer term, global rubber consumption is forecast to reach 30.4 million tonnes by 2019, with NR production of 14.0 million tonnes.
All IRSG publications are available free of charge for Member Governments and members of the Panel of Associates. Annual subscriptions and single copies can be purchased by non-members via the website of the IRSG: www.rubberstudy.com.
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