By Xiao Ming

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, China had Sinopec Beijing Yanshan Petrochemical Company, Zhejiang Xinhui Synthetic New Material Co., Ltd., Liaoning Panjin Heyun Group, Formosa Plastics (Ningbo) Co., Ltd. and Shandong Jingbo Petrochemical Company producing butyl/ halogenated butyl rubber which had a production capacity of 395 000 tons per year, and the output was also developing steadily. However it still could not meet downstream demand. Hence large quantities of imports needed every year.

Import analysis of butyl rubber

1. Import summary

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, China's imports of butyl rubber showed a development trend that first increased, then decreased, and then increased. In 2016 China's imports of butyl rubber amounted to 273 903.21 tons; in 2020 the imports amounted to 284 001.99 tons, a year-on-year increase of 14.85%. 

Ordinary butyl rubber - During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, in addition to 2017, China's imports of ordinary butyl rubber showed a continuous growth trend. In 2016 the import volume was 62 290.45 tons; in 2020 it reached 116 536.56 tons, a year-on-year increase of 38.39%.

Halogenated butyl rubber in addition to 2020, China's imports of halogenated butyl rubber showed a declining development trend. The import volume in 2016 was 211 612.77 tons; the import volume in 2020 was 167 465.42 tons, a year-on-year increase of 2.70%.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, the proportion of ordinary butyl rubber in butyl rubber showed a steadily increasing development trend. The proportion was only 22.74% in 2016, and it increased to 41.03% in 2020; on the contrary, the proportion of halogenated butyl rubber in butyl rubber is showing a trend of declining. In 2016 the proportion was 77.26%, and in 2020 it dropped to 58.97%.

2. Country and region of original imports

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, China’s imports of butyl rubber from Russia, Japan, Singapore and Canada have been relatively stable, while imports from Saudi Arabia and India have steadily increased; imports from the United States, Belgium and the United Kingdom have decreased significantly. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, China's main import sources of butyl rubber are shown in Table 1.

3. Import trade method

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, China's butyl rubber imports were mainly based on general trade and import processing trade, of which general trade has been the largest import trade method. In 2016 the import volume of butyl rubber was 121 716.45 tons, accounting for 44.44% of the total import volume; the import volume in 2020 was 170 935.89 tons, accounting for 60.19% of the total import volume, a year-on-year increase of 22.45%. Import processing trade has always been the second largest import trade method for butyl rubber. In 2016 the import volume was 87 875.26 tons, accounting for about 32.08% of the total import volume; the import volume in 2020 was 53 733.97 tons, accounting for about 18.92% of the total import volume, a year-on-year decrease of approximately 15.02%.

Butyl rubber export analysis 

1. General export summary

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, China's butyl rubber exports increased first, then declined, and then continued to increase. The export volume in 2016 was 14 139.17 tons, and the export volume in 2020 was 19 190.58 tons, an increase of approximately 9.27% year-on-year. The export of ordinary butyl rubber showed a development trend of first increasing, then decreasing, and then continued to increase. The export volume in 2016 was 8 286.32 tons, accounting for 58.61% of the total export volume of butyl rubber; the export volume in 2020 was 7 658.66 tons, accounting for 39.91% of the total export volume of butyl rubber, a year-on-year increase of about 38.42%. The export of halogenated butyl rubber showed a development trend of first decline, then increase, and then continued to decline. The export volume in 2016 was 5 852.85 tons, accounting for 41.39% of the total export volume of butyl rubber; the export volume in 2020 was 11 531.92 tons, accounting for 58.61% of the total export volume of butyl rubber, a decrease of 4.14% year-on-year. The changes in China's butyl rubber export volume during the 13th Five-Year Plan period are shown in Figure 1.

    2. Export country or region

In 2016, domestic butyl rubber was mainly exported to Thailand, Iran, Vietnam, China Taiwan, India and South Korea. The total export volume reached 11 361.72 tons, accounting for about 80.36% of the total export volume. In 2020 the main exporting was to Thailand, Pakistan, Iran, Japan, Vietnam and China Taiwan. The total export volume reached 13 601.42 tons, accounting for 70.88% of the total export volume, a year-on-year increase of about 11.00%.

3. Export trade method

In 2016 China's butyl rubber exports were mainly based on general trade and processing trade with imported materials. The total export volume reached 11 363.85 tons, accounting for about 80.37% of the total export volume. In 2020 China's butyl rubber exports are mainly based on general trade and logistics goods trade in special customs supervision areas. The total export volume will reach 18 159.32 tons, accounting for 94.63% of the total export volume, an increase of about 9.94% year-on-year.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, general trade has always been China's largest export trade method for butyl rubber, except for 2017 (which is the second largest export trade method). The export volume in 2016 was 8 009.83 tons, accounting for 56.65% of the total export volume; the export volume in 2020 is 15 433.45 tons, accounting for 80.42% of the total export volume, an increase of about 35.81% year-on-year.

Conclusion

     In summary, during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, China's butyl rubber imports have shown a declining development trend. The import volume of ordinary butyl rubber has shown a growing development trend, and the import volume of halogenated butyl rubber has shown a continuous decreasing development trend. The export volume of butyl rubber showed a development trend that first increased, then decreased, and then continued to increase. As Sinopec Beijing Yanshan Petrochemical Company, Zhejiang Xinhui Synthetic New Materials Co., Ltd., and Shandong Jingbo Petrochemical Company expand their production facilities or product varieties (mainly halogenated butyl rubber), in addition to production technology continuous improvement, it is expected that China's butyl rubber imports will still show a downward development trend in a certain period of time in the future, and the downward trend of halogenated butyl rubber will be more obvious. Moreover, with the improvement of China's butyl rubber products quality and the continuous reduction of production costs, the export volume will increase to a certain extent in the future, and the export volume of halogenated butyl rubber will have a great growth.