NR futures ended the week higher across all major exchanges, supported by short-covering and renewed speculative buying. Sentiment improved during the trading week ended 24 Oct, on stronger Chinese economic data, reported Japan Exchange Group (JPX). September industrial production rose 6.5% year-on-year in China, while higher crude oil prices lent additional support after the US imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil. Optimism over an easing of US-China trade tensions further buoyed market confidence.
Selected rubber futures price trends on major trading exchanges
Exchange
Commodity
Delivery
Week to 17/10/25
Week to 24/10/25
% Change
Osaka
RSS3
Jan‘26
305.5 (JPY)
308.9 (JPY)
+1.1%
SHFE
SCR/RSS
Jan‘26
14,810 (CNY)
15,375 (CNY)
+3.8%
INE
TSR
Jan‘26
12,215 (CNY)
12,520 (CNY)
+2.5%
SICOM
TSR20
Jan‘26
167.9 (US$c)
173.1 (US$c)
+3.1%
SHFE
BR
Dec‘25
10,915 (CNY)
11,125 (CNY)
+1.9%
(ERJ calculation for selected futures pricing, as tracked by JPX)
PROJECTS
Recently reported capacity additions & expansions
Reported
Company
Project
Location
Capex
Details
29 Oct
Toyo Tire Corp.
Considering two new tire plants
n/s
n/s
‘Current capacity near full utilisation… need expansion as a medium-term priority…”
27 Oct
Yokohama Rubber Co.
Expand auto hose assembly plant
San Francisco Industrial Park, Mexico
n/s
Operations expected to start in Q4/26
22 Oct
Bridgestone, Eneos
7.5ktpa tire pyrolysis pilot plant
Seki City, Gifu, Japan
n/s
Ground-breaking, set for start-up in 2027
22 Oct
Hetron
Second TPEE elastomers plant
n/s (Company is based in Jiangyin City)
n/s
Raise capacity from 22ktpa to 50ktpa
21 Oct
ContiTech
New US compounding centre
Mount Pleasant, Iowa
$85m
Located at hose and belt plant
17 Oct
Cenway
70ktpa butyl rubber expansion
Jiaxing, China
Yuan170m
Launches consultation
16 Oct
Luxi Chemical Group
Proposed 100ktpa ‘deep-processing’ project for silicones
Liaocheng, China
n/s
First environmental impact report notice issued 15 Sept
16 Oct
Aeolus Tyre
Giant tire 20k units/yr expansion
Jiaozuo City, China
n/s
First eng. tire roll-out at site changing capacity from 130k OTR, 1.2m truck to 261k OTR, 200k truck tires/yr
10 Oct
Yokohama Rubber
Car tire plant
Hangzhou, China
€460m
Set for operation by Dec 2025
BUSINESS
Financial results reported this week
Wacker Chemie AG’s silicones division has reported a weak third quarter with both sales and earnings lower than the previous year.
During the three months to end of September, the division posted sales of €673 million, down 7% year-on-year and 6% sequentially.
Earnings (EBITDA) fell 19% year-on-year to €86 million, primarily due to “a weaker product mix, negative currency effects and lower prices,” said Wacker 30 Oct.
Mutares has entered final negotiations with Korea’s Hwaseung Corp. to acquire control of two automotive rubber parts makers in China: Hwaseung Special Rubber (Taicang) Co. Ltd and Hwaseung Auto Parts (Taicang) Co. Ltd.
Markets & business
In a 27 Oct statement, Pirelli said in the UK it halted production at its Burton-on-Trent plant for six days from 24-29 Oct, and at its Carlisle plant from 26-31 Oct.
Perpetuus Advanced Materials Ltd has signed a joint venture agreement with India’s Asiatic Rubber to advance the production of its graphene-enhanced natural rubber masterbatch.