Rubber & tire industry in numbers

SHARE PRICES

Selected tire manufacturers’ share-price trends

Selected rubber product manufacturers’ share-price trends

MATERIALS

Natural rubber

Natural rubber futures weakened amid a slow recovery in China and ahead of the country’s week-long holiday at the start of next month. All major Far East exchanges ended lower “due to continued long liquidation and profit-taking following a stall in prices after the recent rally,” JPX reported. Market sentiment was also dampened by “lower-than-expected” economic data from China, including August industrial production and retail sales

JPX: Selected rubber futures price trends on major trading exchanges

(ERJ calculation for selected futures) 

PROJECTS

Recently reported capacity additions & expansions

BUSINESS

ETRMA has called for ‘real simplification’ of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) as the European Commission seeks to delay the law’s implementation by another year.  In particular, the industry association urged due diligence obligations to end with the “first placer” on the EU market and remain valid for the entire commercial life of the product, “without involving downstream operators in unnecessary burdens.” 

The European Chemicals Agency is planning to launch a consultation on the draft opinion of its Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) on the proposed EU-wide restriction PFAS following the Committee’s meeting in March 2026. The consultation will begin shortly after this meeting and remain open for 60 days, during which stakeholders can provide feedback. After reviewing the consultation feedback, SEAC is expected to adopt its final opinion by the end of 2026. 

Elkem ASA has entered an “exclusive sales process” with an undisclosed counterparty to divest its silicones business, as signalled earlier in January. The company described the buyer as “a major industrial player that has a significant presence in the global chemicals industry.” 

Michelin has defended its restructuring strategy in France after a television report accused the group of relocating production, cutting jobs despite strong profits and lacking transparency over state support. Michelin said claims of offshoring while benefiting from the state aid did not “reflect the reality” of its commitment to France, where it has invested €2.6 billion over the past decade, including €1.5 billion in industrial modernisation. 

Sailun Tire USA has acquired Vogue Tyre & Rubber Co., a long-term manufacturing partner and a 110-year-old maker of custom, gold- and white-sidewalled tires. Sailun said the acquisition signalled “a new era of innovation and growth” for the Chinese group, expanding its reach in the premium market. 

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has agreed to acquire the DMH Group, a seals specialist based in Traboch, Austria. The Austrian sealing systems specialist employs around 200 people across three sites – two in Austria and one in the US – and recently reported annual sales in the “double-digit million euro” range. 

Biesterfeld has expanded its sales partnership with Gummiwerk Kraiburg, taking over distribution of the company’s Kraibon products in South Africa and the UK. The move makes Biesterfeld the exclusive distributor of the range across Europe, with the exception of Italy. 

China imported a total of 664,000 tonnes of natural and synthetic rubber, including latex, in August, up 7.8% from 616,000 tonnes in the same month of 2024. From January to August, cumulative imports reached 5.37 million tonnes, a 19% increase from 4.51 million tonnes in the same period of 2024. In the tire sector, China exported 870,000 tonnes of rubber tires in August, a 2.6% rise year-on-year, slightly down from July.

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