📈 Market Trends & Supply/Demand
Weak Price Volatility: In late June 2026, futures for natural rubber, TSR 20, and synthetic rubber are experiencing weak volatility due to triple pressures: increased seasonal output from major producing regions, declining operating rates in downstream tire production, and falling crude oil prices. Short-term trends remain soft, while inventory levels at Qingdao's bonded and general trade zones remain high.
Production & Exports: Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that China's rubber tire outer tire production in May 2026 increased by 4.6% year-on-year. ANRPC forecasts global natural rubber production in 2026 to be approximately 15.337 million tons (+2.4%), with demand growing moderately, resulting in an overall tight balance.
Tire Price Hikes: Driven by rising costs of raw materials like natural rubber and carbon black, over 80 domestic and foreign tire companies have issued price increase notices since March 2026. Major brands like Hankook and Dunlop initiated a third round of adjustments in June with increases of 2%~6%, though the impact on the end-user market remains limited.
🏭 Industry & Technological Breakthroughs
Successful Pilot Plant for Rubber Extraction from Taraxacum kok-saghyz(TK): On June 25th, a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with the Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, established a pilot extraction line in Xinjiang. They successfully extracted qualified natural rubber from the roots of Taraxacum kok-saghyzfor the first time, providing a new path for diversifying China's strategic supply of natural rubber.
Enterprise Overseas Expansion: Zhongce Rubber Group's semi-steel tire project in Vietnam has been approved and is expected to start construction in July; Qingdao Freen Tire's Phase II smart factory in Malaysia is now operational; Sentury Tire plans to build a factory in the Balkans to deepen its localization strategy in Europe.
🎪 Industry Conferences & Events
The 13th Global Tire Tech Forum (June 24–26, Qingdao): Hosted by CRIA, themed "Green, Low-Carbon, Innovation-Driven Development," focusing on industrial transformation, bio-based materials, and smart manufacturing.
International Rubber Technology Exhibition (RubberTech 2026): Scheduled for September 15–17, 2026, at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, expecting over 1,000 exhibitors.
CRIA Sub-association Updates:
The Annual Conference of the Rubber Additives Committee & The 26th New Materials Technology Forum for the Rubber Industry is planned for September in Hefei (Theme: "15th Five-Year Plan · Green, Intelligent, High-Quality Development").
The General Assembly of the Rubber Resources Recycling Branch is set for August 19–21 in Tengzhou, Shandong.