The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) is happy to release its Natural Rubber Trends & Statistics Aug - Dec 2019.

After assuming the position as the Secretary-General on 1 December 2019, one of my priorities has been to ensure that this important publication reaches the users in the shortest time along with insightful analytical observations and early signals of the emerging trends. As a major step in the efforts to achieve this, we are now releasing the backlogs from August to December 2019 as a single issue. 

This combined issue, covering the five months from August to December 2019, provides the actual figures up to September 2019, preliminary estimates of October to December 2019, and anticipated figures of January to March 2020. Although this issue is expected to cover the analysis and observations during the period up to December 2019 only, we have incorporated the most recent developments in the market. The impact of the new fungal leaf disease of rubber trees, and the response of the market to the signing of the first phase of the US-China trade deal as well as the response to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, are covered. Besides giving a detailed analysis of the NR industry and market trends, this issue provides clear signals on the emerging trends by pointing out the various positive and negative factors potentially influencing the market in Q1 2020. Moreover, statistical tables are made more comprehensive by including the production and consumption figures of the countries which are not members of the ANRPC. We are planning to release by mid-February the issue for January and February as a single publication. The publication from March 2020 onwards will be released by the 10th the same month itself.  

While apologising for the long delay in the release of the issues from August 2019 onwards, ANRPC ensures that such delay will never happen anymore. Moreover, from every issue the users would be able to get a close understanding of the prevailing situation and a clear signal on the emerging trends.

The year 2019 has witnessed more than half million hectare of yielding rubber trees getting affected by a new fungal disease and the world output falling by 0.7% due to the disease, unfavourable prices and climatic factors. On the other side, economic slowdown, crisis in the auto sector, trade uncertainties, and geopolitical factors have translated into a 1.0% fall in the world consumption in 2019.  Although the new year has initially brought cheer to the sector in the form of the signing of the U.S.-China trade deals on 15 January that renewed hopes on demand from China, the outbreak of novel coronavirus has clouded the expectation at least for Q1 2020. It is early to gauge the implications of the outbreak of coronavirus on the demand prospects of NR. We hope that a clearer picture could be provided in the next issue. 

ANRPC is organizing the fourth edition of its international Training in Rubber Market Analysis and Research (R-MART 2020) from 17 to 19 March in Bangkok with the local support of the Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAOT).  This three-day intensive training covers both Fundamental Analysis and Technical Analysis.  In a marked deviation from the previous three editions, R-MART 2020 is open for participation of the private sector and non-members of ANRPC on payment of a fee. For more details, please email at “anrpc.secretariat@gmail.com”. 

Before I conclude, let me extend sincere gratitude to the designated statistical correspondents in member governments for making available the most updated data and forecasts. We are indebted to the users of the publication for the incessant support, encouragement and feedback. We solicit your suggestions for making the subsequent issues more insightful and user oriented.

I wish you all a happy new year.

Mr. R. B. Premadasa
Secretary-General