By Cui Xiaoming
China's synthetic rubber industry developed steadily in 2020, due to the lack of raw material for some products and the serious homogeneity of products, some production facilities were in a long-term shutdown state, hence the output could not meet domestic demand, and a large amount of imports were required every year. At the same time, some synthetic rubber products were exported every year. According to the statistics of the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China, this article analyzes China’s eight major types of synthetic rubber (excluding latex, the same below) import and export trade situation in 2020, including styrene butadiene rubber (including solution polymerized styrene butadiene rubber and emulsion polystyrene butadiene rubber), polybutadiene rubber, butyl rubber (including ordinary butyl rubber and halogenated butyl rubber). Base rubber, ethylene propylene rubber (including two yuan ethylene propylene rubber and three yuan ethylene propylene rubber), nitrile rubber, chloroprene rubber, isoprene rubber and thermoplastic styrene butadiene rubber.
Import trade analysis
In 2020, China's synthetic rubber imports totaled 1.4291 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 7.02%; the total import value reached US$2 245.25 million, a year-on-year decrease of 12.73%. In details, the import volume of styrene-butadiene rubber was 392 100 tons, accounting for 27.44% of the total import volume, an increase of 4.23% year-on-year; the import volume of nitrile rubber was 95 500 tons, accounting for 6.68% of the total import volume, an increase of 13.69% year-on-year; the import volume of plastic styrene butadiene rubber was 50 500 tons, accounting for 3.53% of the total import volume, an increase of 59.81% year-on-year; the import volume of polybutadiene rubber was 284 500 tons, accounting for 19.91% of the total import volume, an increase of 40.91% year-on-year; the import volume of ethylene-propylene rubber was 260 800 tons, accounting for 18.25% of the total imports, down 25.10% year-on-year; the import volume of butyl rubber was 284 000 tons, accounting for 19.87% of the total imports, an increase of 14.84% year-on-year; the import volume of polyisoprene rubber was 46 000 tons, accounting for 3.22% of the total import volume, an increase of 51.82% year-on-year; the import volume of neoprene rubber was 15 700 tons, accounting for 1.10% of the total import volume, a year-on-year decrease of 0.63% .
1. Importing country or region
In 2020, China's synthetic rubber imports mainly came from Singapore, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Russia and Poland. South Korea was China's largest source of synthetic rubber imports, with an import volume of 292 700 tons, accounting for 20.48% of the total import volume, an increase of 10.96% year-on-year.
2. Importing provinces and municipalities
In 2020, China's synthetic rubber imports were mainly concentrated in Fujian, Shandong, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Guangdong and Zhejiang provinces and cities, mainly in general trade and imported processing trade. Shandong Province was the largest importer of synthetic rubber, followed by Shanghai, with an import volume of 211 200 tons.
Export trade analysis
In 2020, the total export volume of China's synthetic rubber reached 20 496.52 tons, an increase of 23.04% year-on-year; the total export value reached US$366.48 million, a year-on-year decrease of 1.51%. The export volume of styrene-butadiene rubber was 48 808.99 tons, accounting for 23.81% of the total export volume, an increase of 121.21% year-on-year; the export volume of nitrile rubber was 12 079.68 tons, accounting for 5.89% of the total export volume, a year-on-year decrease of 9.44% ; the export volume of thermoplastic styrene butadiene rubber was 22 020.75 tons, accounting for 10.74% of the total export volume, a year-on-year decrease of 37.15%; the export volume of polybutadiene rubber was 71 838.56 tons, accounting for 35.05% of the total export volume, a year-on-year increase of 50.76%; the export volume of ethylene-propylene rubber was 18 888.18 tons, accounting for 9.22% of the total export volume, an increase of 5.55% year-on-year; the export volume of butyl rubber was 19 190.58 tons, accounting for about 9.36% of the total export volume, a year-on-year increase of 9.27%; the total export volume of polyisoprene rubber was 1 210.95 tons, accounting for 0.59% of the total export volume, an increase of 55.39% year-on-year; the total export volume of neoprene rubber was 10 925.84 tons, accounting for 5.33% of the total export volume, a year-on-year decrease of 10.90%.
1. Exporting countries or regions
In 2020, China's synthetic rubber was mainly exported to Hong Kong and Taiwan regions of China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and other countries or regions. Thailand is the largest exporting country, with an export volume of 47 472.01 tons, accounting for 23.16% of the total export volume, an increase of 102.71%; followed by Vietnam, with an export volume of 47 040.62 tons, accounting for 22.95% of the total export volume, a year-on-year increase of 87.25%.
In 2020, China's styrene butadiene rubber was mainly exported to Indonesia, Thailand, China Taiwan, Cambodia, India and Vietnam. Vietnam was the largest exporting country, with an export volume of 16 473.03 tons, accounting for 33.75% of the total export volume, an increase of 300.82%; followed by Thailand, with an export volume of 15 682.45 tons, accounting for 32.13% of the total export volume, a year-on-year increase of 222.12%.
2. Export provinces and cities
In 2020, China's synthetic rubber exports were mainly concentrated in the provinces and municipalities of Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong and Guangdong. Shandong Province was the largest export province, with an export volume of 52 04.30 tons, accounting for 25.39% of the total export volume, an increase of 85.86%; followed by Zhejiang Province, with an export volume of 46 872.53 tons, accounting for 22.87% of the total export volume, an increase of 38.01% year-on-year.
From the above analysis, it can be concluded that in 2020, China’s synthetic rubber import and export trade were both increased in year-on-year term at varying degrees, in details, the import volume of styrene butadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, polybutadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, and polyisoprene rubber, thermoplastic styrene butadiene rubber and butyl rubber increased year-on-year, while the import volume of ethylene-propylene rubber and neoprene rubber decreased year-on-year; the export volume of styrene-butadiene rubber, polybutadiene rubber, polyisoprene rubber, butyl rubber, and ethylene-propylene rubber increased at varying degrees year-on-year, while the export volume of nitrile rubber, neoprene rubber and thermoplastic styrene butadiene rubber decreased.
As China's synthetic rubber’s manufacturing and sales model is relatively stable, and the demand growth will not be enormous, the product structure will not change significantly. It is expected that in 2021, China's synthetic rubber import and export source countries or regions, importing and exporting provinces and cities, and the pattern of import and export trade will not change greatly. The amount of import and export mainly depends on the downstream needs and the operation of synthetic rubber production units in China.
