RTAE tracks impact of US tariffs on rubber prices

Sandwich, UK – Natural rubber markets were last month grounded by uncertainty linked to the Trump administration’s actual and threatened imposition of tariffs on imports to the US.

That’s according to the Rubber Trade Association of Europe, which reported that TSR 20 prices remained low throughout May at around 165 €cents/kg CIF.

TSR 20 prices rose slightly to 170.00 €cents/kg mid-May before falling back to nearer 160.00 cents/kg, RTAE reported in its latest monthly digest.

 Although many threatened US tariffs were postponed until July, the economic outlook remains weak, said the rubber trade body, noting that uncertainty inhibits business and trade. 

“In their different ways, governments are better understanding how to deal with this administration but there is little that can be done to diminish the uncertainty,” commented the association.

“The consequential outlook for rubber prices is likely to remain depressed with the transactional tariff regime of the US administration not only for its innate peculiarity but because of [its] unreliability,” said RTAE.