NR futures softened in the final trading week of October as China’s manufacturing activity came in below expectations, hitting market sentiment. China’s official PMI for October registered 49.0, below the forecast 49.6, prompting traders to unwind long positions and limiting buying momentum, Japan Exchange Group (JPX) said. Consumers in the physical market are currently paying premiums of 5–10 cents/kg over futures, depending on origin, it noted. This, added JPX, indicates processors are operating on "thin margins" at current price levels.
Selected rubber futures price trends on major trading exchanges
Exchange
Commodity
Delivery
Week to 24/10/25
Week to 31/10/25
% Change
Osaka
RSS3
Jan‘26
308.9 (JPY)
309.5 (JPY)
+0.2%
SHFE
SCR/RSS
Jan‘26
15,375 (CNY)
15,105 (CNY)
-1.8%
INE
TSR
Jan‘26
12,520 (CNY)
12,370 (CNY)
-1.2%
SICOM
TSR20
Jan‘26
173.1 (US$c)
170.6 (US$c)
-1.4%
SHFE
BR
Dec‘25
11,125 (CNY)
10,640 (CNY)
-4.4%
(ERJ calculation for selected futures pricing, as tracked by JPX)
PROJECTS
Recently reported capacity additions & expansions
Reported
Company
Project
Location
Capex
Details
5 Nov
Birla Carbon
Up prod’n of ELT-based fillers
n/s
n/s
Target 10% of global prod’n
4 Nov
SI Group
New Europe R&D centre
Four Ashes, UK
n/s
Facility opened
3 Nov
MESNAC
New prod’n facility
Svay Rieng, Cambodia
n/s
Groundbreaking
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
Goodyear has completed the final round of its divestment plant with the sale of its ‘chemical business’ to an affiliate of private equity firm Gemspring Capital Management – for $650m (€565m), effective 31 Oct. Cash proceeds at closing amounted to $580m.
Goodyear is bringing its aviation operations under a unified global structure as it looks to streamline strategy across its commercial, military and private aviation tire business.
Kraton is to streamline its polymers operations in Berre, France to solely focus on producing USBC (unhydrogenated styrenic block copolymers) elastomers: ceasing the production of HSBC (hydrogenated styrenic block copolymers) products at the location.
Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies, together with its aftermarket division Corteco, has acquired Alto Products Corp., a maker of clutch plates and automatic transmission parts. This acquisition strengthens Freudenberg’s position in the North American and global aftermarket, expanding the company’s product and service offerings for customers.