By Yan Feng

Based on GACC data (The General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China), this text shows the import and export volume, countries, provinces, cities and regions of China’s natural rubber (including the types of technique classification, smoked sheets and others in primary forms) and compound rubber (including unvulcanized compound rubber mixed with carbon black or in primary forms, and other unvulcanized compound rubber solution, dispersions and plates, sheets and strips).

Natural rubber

1. Import analysis

China’s natural rubber imports in 2022 rose 7.26% year-on-year to 1 977 800 tons, with 1 358 600 tons down 6.19% year-on-year for technically specified rubber, accounting for 68.69% of total imports, and 218 400 tons for smoked sheets, increasing 11.94% year-on-year and holding 11.04% totally, and the imports for other rubber in primary forms climbed 20.27% year-on-year to 400 800 tons, representing 99.80% of total imports.

China’s natural rubber imports in 2022 mainly from Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and C?te d'Ivoire jumped 3.94% year-on-year to 1 510 100 tons, holding 76.35% of total imports.

In 2022, China’s natural rubber imports to Liaoning, Zhejiang, Shandong and Yunnan provinces grew 11.09% year-on-year to 1 587 600 tons, accounting for 80.27% totally. And during the same period, general trade and processing with imported material boosted China’s natural rubber imports, which rose 2.91% year-on-year to 1 377 800 tons, holding 69.66% of total imports.

2. Export analysis

China’s natural rubber exports in 2022 fell 11.58% year-on-year to 23 532.72 tons, with exports of technically specified rubber dropping 9.26% year-on-year to 17 552.69 tons, equal to 74.59% of total exports. And the natural smoked sheets exports slumped 35.29% year-on-year to 3 856.27 tons, representing 16.39% of overall exports, and exports of natural rubber in primary forms soared 62.08% year-on-year to 2 123.76 tons, holding 9.02% of total exports.

In 2022, China’s natural rubber exports to North Korea, Malaysia, Germany, Russia and Brazil mounted 66.71% year-on-year to 18 308.64 tons, accounting for 77.80% of overall exports.

And during the same year, China’s natural rubber exports from Zhejiang, Shandong, Hunan and Yunnan provinces rose 7.71% year-on-year to 20 114.54 tons, accounting for 85.47% of overall exports. Moreover, general trade and logistics in special customs supervision areas drove the exports, which declined 7.61% year-on-year to 20 671.41 tons, occupying 87.84% of overall exports.

Compound rubber

1. Import analysis

China’s compound rubber imports in 2022 declined 16.75% year-on-year to 64 118.81 tons, of which 50 975.46 tons were from unvulcanized compound rubber mixed with carbon black, dropping 19.29% year-on-year and accounting for 79.50% of overall imports. And 6 691.02 tons were for other types of unvulcanized compound rubber plates, sheets and strips, decreasing 5.27% year-on-year and representing 10.44% totally. Moreover, the imports of other unvulcanized compound rubber in primary forms declined 14.08% year-on-year to 5 090.96 tons, holding 7.94% of total imports, while the imports of unvulcanized compound rubber solution and dispersions soared 92.17% year-on-year to 1 361.37 tons, accounting for 2.12% of total imports.

In 2022, China imported 47 888.43 tons of compound rubber from Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Italy, Taiwan of China and Germany, which fell 8.99% year-on-year and held 74.69% overall.

Chinese regions in need of compound rubber in 2022 were mostly in Liaoning, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong and Guangdong provinces and Shanghai city, with the imports falling 16.05% year-on-year to 51 495.62 tons, representing 16.05% of overall imports. Meanwhile, general trade and processing with imported material promoted China’s compound rubber imports, which went down 16.05% year-on-year to 59 172.90 tons, accounting for 80.31% of overall imports. During the same year, general trade and processing with imported material motivated China’s compound rubber imports, which reduced 16.43% year-on-year to 59 172.90 tons, occupying 92.29% of overall imports.

2. Export analysis

China’s compound rubber exports in 2022 increased about 2.00% year-on-year to 34 998.75 tons, most of which were exported to Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and Brazil with 26 120.51 tons up 10.40% from a year before, representing 74.63% of overall exports.

And China’s compound rubber export sources in 2022 were mostly in Liaoning, Jiangsu, Shandong and Guangdong provinces and Shanghai city, with the exports going up 1.92% year-on-year to 31 962.51 tons, holding 91.32% of all exports. And encouraged by general trade and processing with imported material, China’s compound rubber exports dropped 0.80% year-on-year to 32 468.88 tons, occupying 92.77% of all exports.

Epoxy glue

1. Import analysis

China’s epoxy glue imports were up 15.41% from one year before to 3 359 700 tons, accounting for 94.10% totally, most of which were from Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia with 3 161 500 tons up 14.68% year-on-year, holding 94.10% of total imports. Among them, the imports from Thailand rose 33.28% year-on-year to 1 564 600 tons, occupying 46.57% of total imports, and from Vietnam up 1.75% year-on-year to 1 228 400 tons, holding 36.56% of overall imports, and from Malaysia down 1.86% year-on-year to 368 500 tons, holding 10.97% of total imports.

China’s epoxy glue import destinations were mainly in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong and Hunan provinces, with the imports jumping 17.09% year-on-year to 2 829 600 tons, occupying 84.22% totally. And the imports were developed by general trade and logistics in special customs supervision areas, going up 14.96% year-on-year to 3 123 800 tons, holding 92.98% overall.

2. Export analysis

China’s epoxy glue, whose exports in 2022 rose 0.75% than one year before to 1 282.59 tons, was mainly sold to North Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam with the exports expanding 16.84% year-on-year to 1 239.93 tons, occupying 96.67% of total exports. And the export sources were mostly from Shandong and Hunan provinces, with the exports rocketing 204.86% year-on-year to 1 187.86 tons, holding 92.61% of all exports.

China’s epoxy glue exports in 2022 were dealt by general trade and logistics in special customs supervision areas, up 0.25% year-on-year to 1 276.22 tons, equal to 99.05% of all exports.