NR producers to study pricing issues at Bangkok meeting

Bangkok – Members of the International Rubber Tripartite Council (IRTC) – Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia – are set to meet in Bangkok later this month to address issues around prolonged low prices for natural rubber (NR).

Speaking 7 Jan to ERJ, a spokeswoman for the International Rubber Consortium (IRCo) said the exact date of meeting is not finalised yet.

The meeting, she said, would review measures to benefit smallholders, but did not elaborate further.

IRCo – the operational arm of the IRTC – has previously agreed export cuts in a bid to shore up NR prices. The spokeswoman declined to comment on whether this option would be discussed.

At a meeting in Malaysia in December, the three countries expressed concern that the market had been “led by perception based on inaccurate data.”

This was "despite a healthy balance of current NR supply, demand and related NR stocks," added an IRCo statement issued 13 Dec.