SunSirs: Plastics and Rubber Industries Bulk Commodity Intelligence (April 28, 2026)

Macroeconomics

1. [Compute-Power Synergy] The National Energy Administration will formulate and implement the "15th Five-Year Plan" for the construction of a new-type power system. This plan will integrate computing infrastructure into the key areas for ensuring power supply, coordinate the planning and layout of computing and power projects, and refine the bidirectional dispatch mechanisms between computing resources and electricity. Concurrently, the Administration will enhance policy measures—such as direct green power connections—that foster compute-power synergy, and will advance the implementation of pilot projects in this field.

2. [Electricity] National Energy Administration: In the first quarter, the nation added 58.93 million kilowatts of installed renewable energy capacity, accounting for 70% of all newly installed capacity during the period. Specifically, newly grid-connected capacities for hydropower, wind power, photovoltaics, biomass power, and concentrated solar power (CSP) stood at 1.42 million KW, 15.77 million KW, 41.19 million KW, 0.35 million KW, and 0.20 million KW, respectively. As of the end of March, the nation's total installed renewable energy capacity reached 2.395 billion kilowatts—a year-on-year increase of 22%—accounting for approximately 60.4% of the country's total installed power capacity.

3. [EU Legislation] The EU's Industrial Accelerator Act imposes restrictive requirements on foreign investment in sectors such as batteries, electric vehicles, photovoltaics, and critical raw materials, as well as in public procurement.

Plastics and Rubber

1. [SBR] Jilin Petrochemical's 140,000-ton/year Styrene-Butadiene Rubber (SBR) facility, comprising three production lines, is currently operating normally; however, the facility is scheduled to shut down one of these lines for maintenance starting May 6, 2026.

2. [SBR] On April 27, Sinopec lowered its ex-factory prices for SBR by approximately 400 RMB/ton. The quoted ex-factory price (tax-inclusive) for Qilu 1502/1502E is now 16,000 RMB/ton.

3. [BR] On April 27, the market trend for Butadiene Rubber (BR) in the East China region weakened, with supplier quotes dropping by 300 RMB/ton and spot market offers edging slightly lower. Currently, quotes for BR from Daqing, Yangzi, and Qilu range from 16,000 to 16,300 RMB/ton, while some private brands are quoted in the range of 15,900 to 16,100 RMB/ton.

4. [Natural Rubber] On April 27, the market for natural rubber raw materials in Thailand's production regions saw an upward trend: Smoked Sheets (RSS) were quoted at 81.00 THB/kg (up 0.50 THB/kg); Latex was quoted at 79.75 THB/kg (up 1.00 THB/kg); and Cup Lump was quoted at 65.05 THB/kg (up 0.30 THB/kg).