Rubber Industry Brief | Aug 17, 2026
Mid-August sees a "volatile natural rubber, firm synthetic rubber" trend in China's domestic market. On the natural rubber front, Southeast Asian main producing regions have entered the peak output season but face rainfall disruptions. Inventories at Qingdao Bonded Zone edged down to 645k tons. The SHFE rubber benchmark hovers near CNY 17,000/ton, with SCR5 spot at approx. CNY 17,350/ton.
In synthetics, international crude oil staying elevated and firm butadiene prices have driven up offers. Sinopec and PetroChina Northeast lifted SBR ex-factory prices by CNY 200/ton on Aug 12. SBR 1502 in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang market is quoted at CNY 13,800–14,000/ton, while the BR benchmark contract trends firm.
Downstream tire makers report mixed operating rates-TBR at approx. 63.6% and PCR at 64.6%-amid tepid end-user orders, prompting buyers to procure feedstocks on a need-to basis. Additionally, the 2026 Greater Bay Area International Rubber, Plastics & Tire Expo kicked off today at Tanzhou Convention Center in Foshan, featuring dedicated zones for raw rubber materials and reclaimed rubber.