Rubber tree roots
That amount represents an average -67.1% drop in value since 2012 when natural rubber shipments were valued at $36.5 billion. Year over year, rubber shipments depreciated by -9.4% from 2015 to 2016.
Among continents, Asian countries accounted for about $10.2 billion or 80% of international natural rubber sales. African exporters supplied 8.5% of the global total followed by Europe at 4.7%.
Accounting for a much smaller percentage of exported natural rubber was Latin America (excluding Mexico) and the Caribbean at 1.1% while North America was the laggard at 0.9% of global rubber shipments.
The 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for natural rubber is 4001.
Natural Rubber Exports by Country
Countries
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of natural rubber during 2016:
- Thailand: US$4.4 billion (36.8% of total natural rubber exports)
- Indonesia: $3.4 billion (28.1%)
- Vietnam: $904.1 million (7.5%)
- Malaysia: $871.1 million (7.3%)
- Côte d’Ivoire: $726.3 million (6.1%)
- Myanmar (Burma): $194.1 million (1.6%)
- Germany: $153.4 million (1.3%)
- Belgium: $126.4 million (1.1%)
- Guatemala: $120.9 million (1%)
- Liberia: $106.3 million (0.9%)
- Laos: $100 million (0.8%)
- Singapore: $94.9 million (0.8%)
- Luxembourg: $94.5 million (0.8%)
- United States: $93.1 million (0.8%)
- Netherlands: $70.7 million (0.6%)
The listed 15 countries accounted for 95.4% of all natural rubber exports during 2016.
Fourteen of the top 15 natural rubber exporters posted declines from 2012 to 2016. Heaviest losers were Singapore (down -69.9%), Malaysia (down -65.8%), Vietnam (down -63.8%), Germany (down -61.9%) and Liberia (down -61.8%).
Only one top country bucked the negative growth trend. Rubber export sales from Laos rose 50.6% in value from 2012 to 2016.
Advantages
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for natural rubber during 2016. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s natural rubber exports and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Thailand: US$4.4 billion (net export surplus down -49.5% since 2012)
- Indonesia: $3.3 billion (down -57.2%)
- Vietnam: $860.8 million (down -61.3%)
- Côte d’Ivoire: $726.3 million (down -9.1%)
- Myanmar (Burma): $185.3 million (down -15.5%)
- Guatemala: $119.7 million (down -58.1%)
- Liberia: $106.3 million (down -61.8%)
- Laos: $95.7 million (up 94.4%)
- Cameroon: $59 million (down -51.4%)
- Cambodia: $55.1 million (down -66.9%)
- Nigeria: $46.3 million (down -99.5%)
- Ghana: $40.7 million (down -13.2%)
- Guinea: $20.9 million (down -92.9%)
- Gabon: $18.4 million (down -67.4%)
- Philippines: $14.4 million (down -76.5%)
Thailand has the highest surplus in the international trade of natural rubber. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms Thailand’s strong competitive advantage for this specific resource category.
Opportunities
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for natural rubber during 2016. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s natural rubber import purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- China: -US$3.3 billion (net export deficit down -50.8% since 2012)
- United States: -$1.4 billion (down -59.1%)
- Japan: -$926.5 million (down -63%)
- India: -$619.1 million (down -29.9%)
- South Korea: -$535 million (down -60.9%)
- Germany: -$325.5 million (down -62.5%)
- Brazil: -$317.5 million (down -48.3%)
- Malaysia: -$292.8 million (down -652.5%)
- Spain: -$233.7 million (down -44.1%)
- Turkey: -$225.6 million (down -50.8%)
- Italy: -$198.9 million (down -42%)
- Canada: -$190.1 million (down -62.5%)
- France: -$176.9 million (down -65%)
- Russia: -$168.3 million (down -19.2%)
- Taiwan: -$150.5 million (down -56.7%)
The People’s Republic of China ran up the highest deficit in the international trade of natural rubber. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights China’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific resource category but also signals opportunities for natural rubber-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful demand of Chinese manufacturers.
Companies
Natural Rubber Exporting Companies
Below are rubber manufacturing companies that dominate the worldwide rubber trade, with a focus on rubber tire makers.
- Bridgestone Corp (Japan)
- Michelin (France)
- Goodyear (United States)
- Continental A.G. (Germany)
- Pirelli & C. S.p.A. (Italy)
- Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (Japan)
- Hankook Tire Co. Ltd. (South Korea)
- Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (Japan)
- Maxxis International/Cheng Shin Rubber Industrial Co. Ltd. (Taiwan)
- Zhongce Rubber Group Co. Ltd. (China)
These 10 companies accounted for almost two-thirds of worldwide rubber tire sales in 2015.
According to global trade intelligence firm Zepol, the following companies are also important players in the rubber industry:
- PT PP London Sumatra Indonesia TBK (Indonesia)
- Lee Rubber (Malaysia)
- Transityre (France)
Searchable List of Natural Rubber Exporting Countries
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns below.
| Rank | Exporter | 2016 Natural Rubber Exports | % World Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Thailand | US$4.4 billion | 36.8% |
| 2. | Indonesia | $3.4 billion | 28.1% |
| 3. | Vietnam | $904.1 million | 7.5% |
| 4. | Malaysia | $871.1 million | 7.3% |
| 5. | Côte d'Ivoire | $726.3 million | 6.1% |
| 6. | Myanmar (Burma) | $194.1 million | 1.6% |
| 7. | Germany | $153.4 million | 1.3% |
| 8. | Belgium | $126.4 million | 1.1% |
| 9. | Guatemala | $120.9 million | 1% |
| 10. | Liberia | $106.3 million | 0.9% |
| 11. | Laos | $100 million | 0.8% |
| 12. | Singapore | $94.9 million | 0.8% |
| 13. | Luxembourg | $94.5 million | 0.8% |
| 14. | United States | $93.1 million | 0.8% |
| 15. | Netherlands | $70.7 million | 0.6% |
| 16. | France | $62.2 million | 0.5% |
| 17. | Cameroon | $59 million | 0.5% |
| 18. | Cambodia | $57 million | 0.5% |
| 19. | Nigeria | $46.4 million | 0.4% |
| 20. | Ghana | $40.7 million | 0.3% |
| 21. | India | $36.9 million | 0.3% |
| 22. | Philippines | $36.4 million | 0.3% |
| 23. | Sri Lanka | $35.9 million | 0.3% |
| 24. | China | $21.5 million | 0.2% |
| 25. | Guinea | $20.9 million | 0.2% |
| 26. | Gabon | $18.4 million | 0.2% |
| 27. | United Kingdom | $14.8 million | 0.1% |
| 28. | Hong Kong | $9.6 million | 0.1% |
| 29. | Spain | $8.1 million | 0.1% |
| 30. | Papua New Guinea | $7.5 million | 0.1% |
| 31. | Italy | $7.4 million | 0.1% |
| 32. | Mexico | $5.8 million | 0.05% |
| 33. | Poland | $5.6 million | 0.05% |
| 34. | Saudi Arabia | $5.3 million | 0.04% |
| 35. | Bangladesh | $5.2 million | 0.04% |
| 36. | Slovakia | $5.2 million | 0.04% |
| 37. | Czech Republic | $4.6 million | 0.04% |
| 38. | Canada | $4.4 million | 0.04% |
| 39. | Brazil | $4.2 million | 0.04% |
| 40. | Taiwan | $3.2 million | 0.03% |
| 41. | Malawi | $2.9 million | 0.02% |
| 42. | Turkey | $2.4 million | 0.02% |
| 43. | Colombia | $2.2 million | 0.02% |
| 44. | South Korea | $2.2 million | 0.02% |
| 45. | Finland | $2 million | 0.02% |
| 46. | Chile | $1.9 million | 0.02% |
| 47. | Sweden | $1.8 million | 0.02% |
| 48. | Democratic Rep. Congo | $1.8 million | 0.01% |
| 49. | Lithuania | $1.6 million | 0.01% |
| 50. | Slovenia | $1.5 million | 0.01% |
| 51. | Denmark | $1.3 million | 0.01% |
| 52. | Ecuador | $1.2 million | 0.01% |
| 53. | Australia | $1.1 million | 0.01% |
| 54. | Japan | $717,000 | 0.01% |
| 55. | South Africa | $696,000 | 0.01% |
| 56. | Switzerland | $692,000 | 0.01% |
| 57. | Romania | $675,000 | 0.01% |
| 58. | Serbia | $651,000 | 0.01% |
| 59. | Austria | $501,000 | 0.004% |
| 60. | Hungary | $466,000 | 0.004% |
| 61. | Russia | $455,000 | 0.004% |
| 62. | United Arab Emirates | $453,000 | 0.004% |
| 63. | Estonia | $449,000 | 0.004% |
| 64. | Argentina | $446,000 | 0.004% |
| 65. | Congo | $378,000 | 0.003% |
| 66. | Portugal | $232,000 | 0.002% |
| 67. | Egypt | $176,000 | 0.001% |
| 68. | Ireland | $155,000 | 0.001% |
| 69. | Senegal | $140,000 | 0.001% |
| 70. | Israel | $112,000 | 0.001% |
| 71. | Greece | $93,000 | 0.001% |
| 72. | Peru | $92,000 | 0.001% |
| 73. | Norway | $61,000 | 0.001% |
| 74. | Costa Rica | $26,000 | 0.0002% |
| 75. | Pakistan | $21,000 | 0.0002% |
| 76. | Iceland | $20,000 | 0.0002% |
| 77. | Suriname | $13,000 | 0.0001% |
| 78. | Bulgaria | $11,000 | 0.0001% |
| 79. | Belarus | $8,000 | 0.0001% |
| 80. | Madagascar | $6,000 | 0.0001% |
| 81. | Croatia | $5,000 | 0.00004% |
| 82. | Tunisia | $4,000 | 0.00003% |
| 83. | Panama | $4,000 | 0.00003% |
| 84. | New Zealand | $4,000 | 0.00003% |
| 85. | Oman | $3,000 | 0.00003% |
| 86. | Kuwait | $3,000 | 0.00003% |
| 87. | Honduras | $1,000 | 0.00001% |
| 88. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $1,000 | 0.00001% |
| 89. | Netherlands Antilles | $1,000 | 0.00001% |
| 90. | Uganda | $1,000 | 0.00001% |
See also Natural Rubber Imports by Country, Thailand’s Top 10 Exports and Thailand’s Top Import Partners
Research Sources:
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports – Commodities, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on May 11, 2017
Trade Map, International Trade Centre. Accessed on May 11, 2017
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 11, 2017
Global Rubber Markets (GRM), Bridgestone ranks as world’s top tire producer again (September 8, 2014). Accessed on October 27, 2015
Zepol’s company summary highlights by HTS code. Accessed on October 27, 2015
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