KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (Sept. 12, 2011)—Natural rubber production in Malaysia totaled 100,281 metric tons in July 2011, up 17.4 percent from June 2011 and 23.4 percent from July 2010, according to the latest figures from the Malaysian Department of Statistics.
Malaysian NR consumption for July was 34,995 metric tons, up 13.4 percent from June but down 8.3 percent from July 2010.
Import and export figures reflected the trends in consumption. Malaysia exported 57,334 metric tons of NR in July 2011, down 16.4 percent from June 2011 and 24.1 percent from July 2010. Imports totaled 47,898 metric tons, up 4.4 percent from June 2011 but down 16 percent from July 2010.
Standard Malaysian Rubber comprised nearly all of the Malaysian NR exports, and about half of that was SMR 20, or tire-grade rubber. China was the biggest customer of Malaysian NR, at 34.7 percent; Germany, South Korea, the U.S., Belgium, Portugal, Iran, France, Taiwan and Brazil followed in order. More than half of Malaysian NR imports—51.3 percent—consisted of latex concentrate. Thailand accounted for 68.5 percent of the imports, followed by Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Myanmar.