Status and Outlook of China's Synthetic Rubber Market   

By China Rubber & Plastic Research Institute, CNCIC

1. Supply and demand status of synthetic rubber in China

Capacity substantially increased

In 2010, the total capacity of 8 major types of synthetic rubber (SBR, BR, SBS, NBR, IIR, CR, EPDM and IR) reached 2.708 million t/a in China. The capacity of 8 major types of synthetic rubber in 2010 is listed in Table 1.
   In 2010, the production of all synthetic rubbers in China was still mainly concentrated in Sinopec and CNPC. The two groups' combined capacity was 2.015 million t/a, accounting for about 74.4% of China's total, of which the capacity of Sinopec (including its joint ventures) was 1.275 million t/a, accounting for 47.1% of China's total; and the capacity of CNPC was 740 000 t/a, accounting for 27.3 % of China's total. The capacity of foreign firms, Taiwanese companies and private enterprises was 693 000 t/a, accounting for 25.6% of China's total, and their proportion in China's total is increasing.

Table 1 Major producers of synthetic rubbers in China in 2010                                         (thousand t/a)
Company    ESBR    SSBR    BR    SBS    NBR    IIR    CR    EPDM    IR    Subtotal
Sinopec
   Yanshan Petrochemical    -    30    120    90    -    75    -    -    -    315
   Qilu Petrochemical    230    -    40    -    -    -    -    -    -    270
   Gaoqiao Petrochemical    -    42    178    -    -    -    -    -    -    220
   Baling Petrochemical    -    -    30    220    -    -    -    -    -    250
   Maoming Petrochemical    -    30    10    80    -    -    -    -    -    120
   YPC ?GPRO (Nanjing) Rubber Co Ltd    100    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    100
   Subtotal    330    102    378    390    -    75    -    -    -    1275
China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)
   Jilin Petrochemical    140    -    -    -    10    -    -    20    -    170
   Lanzhou Petrochemical    155    -    -    -    70    -    -    -    -    225
   Daqing Petrochemical    -    -    80    -    -    -    -    -    -    80
   Dushanzi Petrochemical    -    100    35    80    -    -    -    -    -    215
   Jinzhou Petrochemical    -    -    50    -    -    -    -    -    -    50
   Subtotal    295    100    165    80    80    -    -    20    -    740
Others
   Nantong Shen Hua Chemical Industrial Co Ltd    170    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    170
   Changshou Chemical Co Ltd    -    -    -    -    -    -    28    -    -    28
   Shanxi Synthetic Rubber Group Co Ltd    -    -    -    -    -    -    60    -    -    60
   Nanjing Nandi Chemical Co Ltd    -    -    -    -    20    -    -    -    -    20
   Lee Chang Yung Rubber (Huizhou) Co Ltd    -    -    -    200    -    -    -    -    -    200
   Bridgestone (Huizhou) Synthetic Rubber    50    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    50
   Formosa Plastic (Nantong) Industry Co    -    -    -    20    -    -    -    -    -    20
   Shandong Yuhuang Chemical Co Ltd    -    -    80    -    -