Year:2018 ISSUE:10
COLUMN:POLYMERS
Click:278 DateTime:May.22,2018
By Cui Xiaoming
According to customs statistics, China’s import volume of eight major synthetic rubber varieties (excluding latex, the same below) including SBR, IIR, PBR, NBR, CR, EPR, IR and SBC was 1.4447 million tons in 2017, up 6.70% YoY, of which SBR imports were 411 000 tons, up 0.29% YoY; PBR 267 900 tons, up 19.81% YoY; IIR 275 500 tons, up 0.58% YoY; SBC 42 600 tons, a decrease of 29.00% YoY; NBR 91 400 tons, up 3.98% YoY; CR 21 100 tons, up 18.54% YoY; EPR 291 500 tons, up 21.66% YoY; IR 43 700 tons, up 5.56% YoY.
Synthetic rubbers
1. Import origins
China imports synthetic rubbers mainly from South Korea, Japan, Russia, the United States and Singapore. In 2017, the total import volume from these five countries or regions reached 979 200 tons, or 67.78% of the total, a YoY decrease of 1.71%. Refer to Table 1 for 2017 import details.
Table 1 China’s major import sources for synthetic rubbers, 2017 (kt)
Rubbers | South Korea | Japan | Russia | USA | Singapore |
SBR | 109.4 | 35.6 | 43.6 | 32.3 | 42.8 |
PBR | 61.0 | 39.6 | 12.9 | 18.2 | 37.4 |
SBC | 8.6 | 9.4 | 0.1 | 2.9 | 0.3 |
IIR | 0.5 | 17.4 | 57.1 | 67.1 | 56.0 |
CR | 0.1 | 15.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
NBR | 39.0 | 20.0 | 16.4 | 2.1 | 0.1 |
IR | 0.1 | 12.2 | 30.6 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
EPR | 51.3 | 50.4 | 0.2 | 87.9 | 0.2 |
Total | 270.0 | 200.5 | 160.9 | 211.0 | 136.8 |
2. Import customs
China imports synthetic rubbers mainly through Shanghai Customs, Qingdao Customs, Nanjing Customs, Huangpu Customs and Hangzhou Customs. In 2017, the total import volumes via these five customs stations reached 965 100 tons, up 7.64% YoY and 66.80% of the total. Shanghai Customs processed 332 300 tons, up 7.78% and 23.00% of the total; Qingdao Customs, 363 100 tons, up 8.55% and 25.13% of the total; Nanjing Customs 114 900 tons, up 8.40% and 7.95% of the total; Huangpu Customs 75 600 tons, unchanged from 2016 and 5.23% of the total; Hangzhou Customs 79 200 tons, up 9.70% and 5.48% of the total. SBR was imported mainly through Shanghai Customs and Qingdao Customs, with these two handling 12.58% and 33.14% of the total SBR imports, respectively, and down 14.83% and up 1.72% YoY. PBR was handled mainly via Shanghai Customs and Qingdao Customs, accounting for 15.53% and 27.25% of the total PBR imports, respectively, and up by 63.14% and 28.29% over the same period of last year. IIR was imported mainly via Shanghai Customs and Qingdao Customs, accounting for 18.22% and 38.08% of the total IIR imports, respectively, and up 2.66% and down 0.47% YoY. Imports of NBR entered mainly via Shanghai Customs and Huangpu Customs, handling 38.73% and 13.35% of the total NBR imports, respectively, and up 9.60% and 0.83%. CR entered via Shanghai Customs and Huangpu Customs, handling 42.65% and 18.96% of the total CR imports, respectively, and up by 4.65% and 42.86%. SBC arrived mainly via Shanghai Customs and Huangpu Customs, handling 28.64% and 17.84% of the total SBC imports, respectively, and down 6.15% and 24.00%. IR arrived mainly via Qingdao Customs and Dalian Customs, handling 22.20% and 18.99% of the total IR imports, respectively, and down by 3.96% and 3.49% YoY. EPR arrived mainly via Shanghai Customs and Ningbo Customs, handling 43.74% and 13.21% of the total EPR imports, respectively, and up 9.44% and 71.11%.
3. Import destinations
Jiangsu, Shandong, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Shanghai and Fujian are the major destinations of synthetic rubber imports. In 2017, imports coming into these seven regions amounted to 1 187 100 tons, or 82.17% of all imports, up 6.80% YoY. More specifically, Jiangsu imported 192 500 tons, up 6.71% YoY and accounting for 13.32% of the total; Shandong, 343 900 tons, up 7.40% YoY and 23.80% of the total; Guangdong, 164 700 tons, up by 2.36% and 11.40% of the total; Zhejiang, 178 200 tons, up 9.26% YoY and 12.33% of the total; Shanghai, 209 600 tons, up 5.06% and 14.51% of the total; Fujian, 98 200 tons, up 12.36% YoY and 6.80% of the total. The major importers of SBR are Shandong and Jiangsu, accounting for 32.68% and 14.14% of the total SBR imports, respectively, and up 0.07% and down 7.63% YoY. The major importers of IIP are Shandong and Zhejiang, accounting for 35.32% and 11.98% of the total IIR imports, respectively, and up 0.61% and unchanged from 2016. The major importers of NBR are Guangdong and Shanghai, accounting for 20.79% and 34.79% of the total NBR imports, respectively, and up 11.76% and 7.43% YoY. The major importers of CR are Guangdong and Shanghai, accounting for 30.33% and 36.49% of the total CR imports, respectively, and up 23.08% and unchanged from 2016. The major importers of SBC are Guangdong and Shanghai, accounting for 40.84% and 27.93% of the total SBC imports, respectively, and down 32.82% and 4.03% YoY. The major importers of IR are Shandong and Liaoning, accounting for 21.51% and 18.99% of the total IR imports, respectively, and down 3.09% and 3.49% YoY. The major importers of EPR are Shanghai and Jiangsu, accounting for 32.25% and 16.95% of the total EPR imports, respectively, and up 15.48% and 41.95% YoY.
Natural rubbers
According to customs statistics, China imported 2 299 200 tons of natural rubbers (excluding latex) in 2017, up 10.72% over 2016. Within that, 1 680 700 tons of TSNR was imported, up 1.38% YoY, accounting for 73.10% of the total imports; 331 300 tons of RSS, up by 61.69% YoY and 14.41% of the total imports; 287 200 tons of other primary natural rubber products, up 34.33% over 2016 and 12.49% of total imports.
1. Import origins
China imports natural rubbers mainly from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Myanmar. In 2017, the volume from these four countries reached 2 098 000 tons, up 14.51% year-on-year and 91.25% of the total imports. The import volume from Thailand was 1 252 900 tons, accounting for 54.49% of the total and up 3.95% YoY. The import volume from Indonesia was 449 200 tons, accounting for 19.54% of the total and up 61.12% YoY. The import volume from Malaysia was 291 000 tons, accounting for 12.66% of the total and up 4.83% YoY. The import volume from Myanmar was 104 900 tons, accounting for 4.56% of the total and up 48.79% YoY.
2. Import customs
China imports natural rubbers mainly through Kunming, Shanghai, Qingdao, Jinan, Dalian and Nanjing customs stations. In 2017, the total import volumes via these six stations reached 1 982 900 tons, or 86.24% of the total imports, up 15.71% YoY. Imports through Qingdao amounted to 1 328 900 tons, or 57.80% of the total imports, up 4.42% YoY; imports through Kunming amounted to 191 100 tons, or 8.31% of the total imports, up 62.36% YoY; imports through Jinan amounted to 148 400 tons, or 6.45% of the total imports, up 271.00% YoY; imports through Shanghai amounted to 148 200 tons, or 6.44% of the total imports, up 13.74% YoY; imports through Dalian amounted to 83 200 tons, or 3.62% of the total imports, up 16.69% YoY; imports through Nanjing amounted to 83 100 tons, accounting for 3.61% of the total imports, up 1.84% YoY.
3. Import destinations
Shandong, Yunnan, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang and Fujian are the major destinations of natural rubber imports. In 2017, imports coming into these six regions amounted to 1 964 000 tons, up 14.33% YoY, accounting for 85.42% of total imports.
