Rubber tree roots
That amount reflects an average -21.3% drop in value since 2014 when natural rubber shipments were worth $16.8 billion. Year over year, exported natural rubber depreciated by -19.4% from 2017 to 2018.
Among continents, Asian countries exported $11.2 billion or 84.4% of international natural rubber sales. African exporters supplied 8.2% of the global total followed by Europe at 5.2%.
Accounting for a much smaller percentage of exported natural rubber were shippers in Latin America (1.2%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, North America (0.8%) and Oceania (0.1%) led by Papua New Guinea.
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 2018.
- Thailand: US$4.6 billion (34.5% of total exported natural rubber)
- Indonesia: $4 billion (29.9%)
- Vietnam: $987.3 million (7.5%)
- Malaysia: $936.5 million (7.1%)
- Ivory Coast: $752.6 million (5.7%)
- Myanmar (Burma): $260 million (2%)
- Belgium: $202 million (1.5%)
- Laos: $168.3 million (1.3%)
- Guatemala: $152.7 million (1.2%)
- Liberia: $127.2 million (1%)
- Germany: $115 million (0.9%)
- United States: $101.1 million (0.8%)
- France: $96.1 million (0.7%)
- Luxembourg: $94.8 million (0.7%)
- Netherlands: $94.2 million (0.7%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 95.2% of global natural rubber exports in 2018 by value.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing natural rubber exporters since 2014 were: Laos (up 268.8%), Myanmar also called Burma (up 117.1%), Netherlands (up 28.7%) and Ivory Coast (up 24.9%).
Those countries that posted declines in their exported natural rubber sales were led by: Germany (down -64.6%), Vietnam (down -40.8%), Malaysia (down -33%), Thailand (down -24.2%) and United States (down -23.4%).
Advantages
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for natural rubber during 2018. 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$4.6 billion (net export surplus down -24.1% since 2014)
- Indonesia: $3.9 billion (down -17%)
- Vietnam: $895.5 million (down -40.9%)
- Ivory Coast: $752.6 million (up 24.9%)
- Myanmar (Burma): $247.6 million (up 109.7%)
- Guatemala: $152.4 million (down -15.1%)
- Laos: $139.8 million (up 212%)
- Liberia: $127.2 million (no 2014 data)
- Ghana: $58.6 million (no 2014 data)
- Cambodia: $55.8 million (down -59.6%)
- Cameroon: $51.7 million (down -39.8%)
- Philippines: $47.3 million (down -39.7%)
- Nigeria: $39.4 million (down -54.9%)
- Guinea: $26.2 million (down -0.7%)
- Gabon: $20.6 million (down -40%)
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 2018. 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$3.6 billion (net export deficit down -27% since 2014)
- United States: -$1.6 billion (down -17.5%)
- Japan: -$1.1 billion (down -22.2%)
- India: -$905.1 million (up 8.6%)
- South Korea: -$561.4 million (down -32%)
- Malaysia: -$379.3 million (down -1.5%)
- Germany: -$361.8 million (down -23.6%)
- Brazil: -$341.6 million (down -30.4%)
- Turkey: -$323.1 million (down -0.3%)
- Spain: -$283.5 million (down -18.8%)
- Canada: -$239.8 million (down -16.5%)
- Italy: -$224.6 million (down -3.5%)
- Russia: -$217.1 million (up 21.7%)
- Poland: -$186 million (down -26%)
- France: -$182.6 million (down -28.1%)
The People’s Republic of China ran up the highest deficit in the international trade of natural rubber. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights China’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific resource category but also signals opportunities for natural rubber-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful demand of Chinese manufacturers.
Companies
Natural Rubber Exporting Companies
Below are rubber manufacturing companies that dominate the worldwide rubber trade, with a focus on rubber tire makers.
- Bridgestone Corp (Japan)
- Michelin (France)
- Goodyear (United States)
- Continental A.G. (Germany)
- Pirelli & C. S.p.A. (Italy)
- Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (Japan)
- Hankook Tire Co. Ltd. (South Korea)
- Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (Japan)
- Maxxis International/Cheng Shin Rubber Industrial Co. Ltd. (Taiwan)
- Zhongce Rubber Group Co. Ltd. (China)
These 10 companies accounted for almost two-thirds of worldwide rubber tire sales in 2015.
According to global trade intelligence firm Zepol, the following companies are also important players in the rubber industry:
- PT PP London Sumatra Indonesia TBK (Indonesia)
- Lee Rubber (Malaysia)
- Transityre (France)
Searchable List of Natural Rubber Exporting Countries in 2018
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns below.
| Rank | Exporter | Natural Rubber Exports (US$) | %World Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Thailand | $4.6 billion | 34.5% |
| 2. | Indonesia | $4 billion | 29.9% |
| 3. | Vietnam | $987.3 million | 7.5% |
| 4. | Malaysia | $936.5 million | 7.1% |
| 5. | Ivory Coast | $752.6 million | 5.7% |
| 6. | Myanmar (Burma) | $260 million | 2% |
| 7. | Belgium | $202 million | 1.5% |
| 8. | Laos | $168.3 million | 1.3% |
| 9. | Guatemala | $152.7 million | 1.2% |
| 10. | Liberia | $127.2 million | 1% |
| 11. | Germany | $115 million | 0.9% |
| 12. | United States | $101.1 million | 0.8% |
| 13. | France | $96.1 million | 0.7% |
| 14. | Luxembourg | $94.8 million | 0.7% |
| 15. | Netherlands | $94.2 million | 0.7% |
| 16. | Philippines | $76 million | 0.6% |
| 17. | Singapore | $73.5 million | 0.6% |
| 18. | Cambodia | $58.8 million | 0.4% |
| 19. | Ghana | $58.6 million | 0.4% |
| 20. | Cameroon | $51.8 million | 0.4% |
| 21. | Sri Lanka | $46.6 million | 0.4% |
| 22. | Nigeria | $41.8 million | 0.3% |
| 23. | Guinea | $26.2 million | 0.2% |
| 24. | Gabon | $20.6 million | 0.2% |
| 25. | China | $19.9 million | 0.2% |
| 26. | Romania | $16.1 million | 0.1% |
| 27. | United Kingdom | $12.6 million | 0.1% |
| 28. | Poland | $12.5 million | 0.1% |
| 29. | Denmark | $11 million | 0.1% |
| 30. | India | $10.2 million | 0.1% |
| 31. | Spain | $9.8 million | 0.1% |
| 32. | Italy | $9.5 million | 0.1% |
| 33. | Papua New Guinea | $9.5 million | 0.1% |
| 34. | Bangladesh | $6.4 million | 0.05% |
| 35. | Hong Kong | $6.2 million | 0.05% |
| 36. | Colombia | $5.1 million | 0.04% |
| 37. | Mexico | $4.6 million | 0.03% |
| 38. | Canada | $3.9 million | 0.03% |
| 39. | Malawi | $3.8 million | 0.03% |
| 40. | Czech Republic | $3.6 million | 0.03% |
| 41. | Slovakia | $3.5 million | 0.03% |
| 42. | South Korea | $2.7 million | 0.02% |
| 43. | Taiwan | $2.5 million | 0.02% |
| 44. | Sweden | $2.3 million | 0.02% |
| 45. | Congo | $2.2 million | 0.02% |
| 46. | South Africa | $2.2 million | 0.02% |
| 47. | Finland | $1.9 million | 0.01% |
| 48. | Brazil | $1.6 million | 0.01% |
| 49. | Democr. Rep. Congo | $1.3 million | 0.01% |
| 50. | Portugal | $1.2 million | 0.01% |
| 51. | Serbia | $1.1 million | 0.01% |
| 52. | Japan | $1.1 million | 0.01% |
| 53. | Turkey | $1.1 million | 0.01% |
| 54. | Switzerland | $896,000 | 0.01% |
| 55. | Chile | $865,000 | 0.01% |
| 56. | Belarus | $848,000 | 0.01% |
| 57. | Australia | $815,000 | 0.01% |
| 58. | Hungary | $773,000 | 0.01% |
| 59. | Nicaragua | $733,000 | 0.01% |
| 60. | Slovenia | $655,000 | 0.005% |
| 61. | Russia | $641,000 | 0.005% |
| 62. | Ecuador | $619,000 | 0.005% |
| 63. | Bulgaria | $465,000 | 0.004% |
| 64. | Egypt | $431,000 | 0.003% |
| 65. | Austria | $370,000 | 0.003% |
| 66. | Estonia | $211,000 | 0.002% |
| 67. | Sierra Leone | $199,000 | 0.002% |
| 68. | Norway | $176,000 | 0.001% |
| 69. | Saudi Arabia | $159,000 | 0.001% |
| 70. | Costa Rica | $147,000 | 0.001% |
| 71. | Kenya | $103,000 | 0.001% |
| 72. | Israel | $93,000 | 0.001% |
| 73. | Honduras | $79,000 | 0.001% |
| 74. | New Zealand | $79,000 | 0.001% |
| 75. | Afghanistan | $77,000 | 0.001% |
| 76. | Ireland | $68,000 | 0.001% |
| 77. | Peru | $66,000 | 0.0005% |
| 78. | Ukraine | $65,000 | 0.0005% |
| 79. | Suriname | $62,000 | 0.0005% |
| 80. | Lithuania | $59,000 | 0.0004% |
| 81. | Tanzania | $49,000 | 0.0004% |
| 82. | Panama | $35,000 | 0.0003% |
| 83. | Montenegro | $33,000 | 0.0002% |
| 84. | British Virgin Islands | $27,000 | 0.0002% |
| 85. | Kazakhstan | $26,000 | 0.0002% |
| 86. | Pakistan | $25,000 | 0.0002% |
| 87. | Iceland | $20,000 | 0.0002% |
| 88. | Uruguay | $17,000 | 0.0001% |
| 89. | United Arab Emirates | $13,000 | 0.0001% |
| 90. | Jamaica | $12,000 | 0.0001% |
| 91. | Argentina | $10,000 | 0.0001% |
| 92. | Dominican Republic | $9,000 | 0.0001% |
| 93. | Greece | $9,000 | 0.0001% |
| 94. | Iran | $3,000 | 0.00002% |
| 95. | Tunisia | $3,000 | 0.00002% |
| 96. | Trinidad/Tobago | $3,000 | 0.00002% |
| 97. | Venezuela | $2,000 | 0.00002% |
| 98. | Croatia | $2,000 | 0.00002% |
| 99. | El Salvador | $1,000 | 0.00001% |
| 100. | Uganda | $1,000 | 0.00001% |
See also Natural Rubber Imports by Country, Thailand’s Top 10 Exports and Thailand’s Top Trading Partners
Research Sources:
Global Rubber Markets (GRM), Bridgestone ranks as world’s top tire producer again (September 8, 2014). Accessed on May 7, 2019
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 7, 2019
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports – Commodities, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on May 7, 2019
Trade Map, International Trade Centre. Accessed on May 7, 2019
Wikipedia, Natural rubber. Accessed on May 7, 2019
Zepol’s company summary highlights by HTS code. Accessed on May 7, 2019
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