China reports strong growth in synthetic rubber industry in 2010

ERJ staff report (LMH)

Beijing - - Output from the Chinese synthetic rubber industry grew by 11.7 percent in 2010, according to the country's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)

Statistics released by the Commission indicated that production reached 3.1 million tonnes last year.

In April 2010, two new rubber plants began operations. Sinopec Yanshan Co.'s started making brominated isobutylenbe isoprene rubber (BIIR). That unit has capacity for 30 000 tonnes/year. Maoming Lu Hua Chemical started making isoprene rubber (IR) t its 15 000 tonne/year unit.

Due to a rise in the cost of raw materials, the price of most varieties of synthetic rubber remained high, the NDRC said.

The report said chloroprene rubber prices declined slightly by 1.1 percent, styrene-butadiene rubber increased by 42 percent; butadiene rubber was up by 64.3 percent; nitrile rubber up by 31.4 percent, ethylene-propylene rubber up by 15.6 percent and butyl rubber prices rose by 14.9 percent.

However foreign trade increased rapidly, with imports and exports of synthetic rubber totaling $4.9 billion, up 50.9 percent from 2009.

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Press release from NDRC

Above reportauto-translated into English from Chinese