That dollar amount reflects an average -2.9% drop in value since 2016 when natural rubber shipments were worth $11.8 billion. Year over year, exported natural rubber decreased by -8.7% from 2019 to 2020.
The biggest 5 exporters (Thailand, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Malaysia, Vietnam) accounted for 81.5% of the worldwide value of natural rubber shipped in 2020.
Among continents, Asian countries exported $9.1 billion or 79% of international natural rubber sales. African exporters supplied 14.7% worth of the global total trailed by European suppliers at 4.4%.
Accounting for a tinier percentage of exported natural rubber were shippers in Latin America (1.4%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, North America (0.5%) and Oceania (0.1%) led by Papua New Guinea and Australia.
For research purposes, 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 2020.
- Thailand: US$3.5 billion (30.3% of exported natural rubber)
- Indonesia: $3 billion (26.2%)
- Ivory Coast: $1.3 billion (11.6%)
- Malaysia: $782.3 million (6.8%)
- Vietnam: $755.7 million (6.6%)
- Cambodia: $273.6 million (2.4%)
- Laos: $270.2 million (2.4%)
- Myanmar: $219.7 million (1.9%)
- Guatemala: $146.3 million (1.3%)
- Belgium: $130.7 million (1.1%)
- Liberia: $115 million (1%)
- Philippines: $97.2 million (0.8%)
- Ghana: $97 million (0.8%)
- Singapore: $91.4 million (0.8%)
- France: $87 million (0.8%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 94.8% of globally exported natural rubber.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing natural rubber exporters from 2019 to 2020 were: Ghana (up 47.9%), Ivory Coast (up 46.5%), Philippines (up 27.2%) and Cambodia (up 24.5%).
Those countries that posted declines in their exported natural rubber sales were led by: Belgium (down -37.7%), Vietnam (down -24.8%), Liberia (down -20.4%), Thailand (down -15.9%) and Indonesia (down -14.6%).
Advantages
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for natural rubber during 2020. 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$3.5 billion (net export surplus down -15.9% since 2019)
- Indonesia: $3 billion (down -15.2%)
- Ivory Coast: $1.3 billion (up 46.5%)
- Vietnam: $456.2 million (down -28.6%)
- Cambodia: $270.7 million (up 25.1%)
- Laos: $267.1 million (up 24.4%)
- Myanmar: $219.1 million (up 20.3%)
- Guatemala: $144.7 million (up 0.2%)
- Liberia: $115 million (down -20.4%)
- Ghana: $96.9 million (up 47.9%)
- Philippines: $83.5 million (up 103.6%)
- Gabon: $40.5 million (up 163.5%)
- Cameroon: $39.1 million (up 2.9%)
- Guinea: $20.3 million (up 11.6%)
- Nigeria: $14.4 million (down -64.6%)
Thailand generated the highest surplus in the international trade of natural rubber. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms Thailand’s strong competitive advantage under this specific resource category.
Opportunities
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for natural rubber during 2020. 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$3.1 billion (net export deficit down -8.4% since 2019)
- United States: -$1.3 billion (down -22.1%)
- Japan: -$840.1 million (down -25.3%)
- Malaysia: -$670.7 million (up 64.1%)
- India: -$526.1 million (down -26.8%)
- South Korea: -$427.5 million (down -19.1%)
- Turkey: -$305.2 million (down -2.2%)
- Germany: -$270.8 million (down -14.1%)
- Spain: -$255.7 million (down -10.4%)
- Brazil: -$244 million (down -26.1%)
- Italy: -$179.4 million (down -13.2%)
- Russia: -$176.9 million (down -14.4%)
- Canada: -$166.6 million (down -30.4%)
- Poland: -$149.4 million (down -19.6%)
- Taiwan: -$148.7 million (down -6.6%)
The People’s Republic of China ran up the highest deficit in the international trade of natural rubber. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights China’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific resource category but also signals opportunities for natural rubber-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful demand of Chinese manufacturers.
Companies
Natural Rubber Exporting Companies
Below are rubber manufacturing companies that dominate the worldwide rubber trade, with a focus on rubber tire makers.
- Bridgestone Corp (Japan)
- Michelin (France)
- Goodyear (United States)
- Continental A.G. (Germany)
- Pirelli & C. S.p.A. (Italy)
- Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (Japan)
- Hankook Tire Co. Ltd. (South Korea)
- Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (Japan)
- Maxxis International/Cheng Shin Rubber Industrial Co. Ltd. (Taiwan)
- Zhongce Rubber Group Co. Ltd. (China)
These 10 companies accounted for almost two-thirds of worldwide rubber tire sales based on data from 2016.
According to global trade intelligence firm Zepol, the following companies are also important players in the rubber industry.
- PT PP London Sumatra Indonesia TBK (Indonesia)
- Lee Rubber (Malaysia)
- Transityre (France)
Searchable List of Natural Rubber Exporting Countries in 2020
By value, the key 94 exporters in the following table represent 100% of natural rubber shipped worldwide in 2020.
| Rank | Exporter | Exported Natural Rubber (US$) | 2019-20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Thailand | $3,482,312,000 | -15.9% |
| 2. | Indonesia | $3,011,840,000 | -14.6% |
| 3. | Ivory Coast | $1,328,117,000 | +46.5% |
| 4. | Malaysia | $782,264,000 | -14.1% |
| 5. | Vietnam | $755,691,000 | -24.8% |
| 6. | Cambodia | $273,604,000 | +24.5% |
| 7. | Laos | $270,192,000 | +24.2% |
| 8. | Myanmar | $219,662,000 | +20.5% |
| 9. | Guatemala | $146,304,000 | +1% |
| 10. | Belgium | $130,714,000 | -37.7% |
| 11. | Liberia | $114,994,000 | -20.4% |
| 12. | Philippines | $97,247,000 | +27.2% |
| 13. | Ghana | $96,965,000 | +47.9% |
| 14. | Singapore | $91,408,000 | -7.9% |
| 15. | France | $86,954,000 | -6% |
| 16. | Germany | $79,230,000 | -10.3% |
| 17. | Luxembourg | $78,808,000 | -8.1% |
| 18. | United States | $54,036,000 | -15.6% |
| 19. | Netherlands | $40,569,000 | -14% |
| 20. | Gabon | $40,534,000 | +163.3% |
| 21. | Cameroon | $39,513,000 | +3.1% |
| 22. | Sri Lanka | $37,522,000 | +0.7% |
| 23. | Nigeria | $20,912,000 | -50.3% |
| 24. | Guinea | $20,314,000 | +11.6% |
| 25. | India | $18,539,000 | +8.9% |
| 26. | Romania | $17,736,000 | -22% |
| 27. | Spain | $12,431,000 | +10.2% |
| 28. | Italy | $11,635,000 | +60.7% |
| 29. | Poland | $11,576,000 | +26.2% |
| 30. | China | $10,555,000 | -51.5% |
| 31. | Colombia | $9,439,000 | +28% |
| 32. | Egypt | $7,202,000 | -27.6% |
| 33. | Papua New Guinea | $6,463,000 | -1.9% |
| 34. | United Kingdom | $6,026,000 | -35.8% |
| 35. | Canada | $5,950,000 | +43.2% |
| 36. | Democr. Rep. Congo | $5,736,000 | -22.2% |
| 37. | Taiwan | $5,179,000 | +110.1% |
| 38. | Ireland | $4,449,000 | +9,572% |
| 39. | Slovakia | $4,288,000 | +39.2% |
| 40. | Bangladesh | $4,249,000 | -50.8% |
| 41. | Malawi | $3,912,000 | -0.3% |
| 42. | Czech Republic | $3,623,000 | -25.9% |
| 43. | South Africa | $3,594,000 | +35.4% |
| 44. | South Korea | $3,219,000 | +16.6% |
| 45. | Turkey | $2,430,000 | +41.4% |
| 46. | Serbia | $2,406,000 | +119.9% |
| 47. | Brazil | $2,274,000 | +41.2% |
| 48. | Sweden | $2,241,000 | +15.8% |
| 49. | Hong Kong | $2,006,000 | -48.3% |
| 50. | Mexico | $1,425,000 | -55.9% |
| 51. | Congo | $1,307,000 | 0% |
| 52. | Denmark | $1,260,000 | +420.7% |
| 53. | Greece | $1,244,000 | +139.7% |
| 54. | Portugal | $1,213,000 | -41.1% |
| 55. | Russia | $1,044,000 | +17.4% |
| 56. | Chile | $997,000 | +32.4% |
| 57. | Switzerland | $887,000 | +6.6% |
| 58. | United Arab Emirates | $666,000 | -34.3% |
| 59. | Japan | $621,000 | -3.9% |
| 60. | Australia | $604,000 | -40.1% |
| 61. | Austria | $559,000 | +23.4% |
| 62. | US Minor Outlying Is | $529,000 | +72.9% |
| 63. | Lebanon | $503,000 | 0% |
| 64. | Panama | $280,000 | +89.2% |
| 65. | Estonia | $242,000 | -30.7% |
| 66. | Hungary | $215,000 | -88.7% |
| 67. | Israel | $204,000 | -18.1% |
| 68. | Ecuador | $203,000 | -36.6% |
| 69. | Norway | $161,000 | -40.6% |
| 70. | Slovenia | $155,000 | -57.9% |
| 71. | Peru | $124,000 | +110.2% |
| 72. | Belarus | $114,000 | -95.5% |
| 73. | Bulgaria | $107,000 | -23% |
| 74. | Albania | $105,000 | 0% |
| 75. | Costa Rica | $70,000 | -49.3% |
| 76. | Pitcairn | $55,000 | 0% |
| 77. | Honduras | $44,000 | +214.3% |
| 78. | Finland | $39,000 | -47.3% |
| 79. | Lithuania | $26,000 | -80.6% |
| 80. | New Zealand | $24,000 | -81.8% |
| 81. | Senegal | $23,000 | +1,050% |
| 82. | Latvia | $23,000 | 0% |
| 83. | Iceland | $14,000 | -30% |
| 84. | Pakistan | $10,000 | -28.6% |
| 85. | Bahrain | $9,000 | +125% |
| 86. | Ukraine | $8,000 | 0% |
| 87. | Croatia | $7,000 | -96.7% |
| 88. | Libya | $7,000 | 0% |
| 89. | Dominican Republic | $6,000 | +500% |
| 90. | Uganda | $6,000 | 0% |
| 91. | Namibia | $2,000 | -75% |
| 92. | Nicaragua | $1,000 | -50% |
| 93. | Tunisia | $1,000 | -97% |
| 94. | Zambia | $1,000 | -85.7% |
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns below. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that no 2019 data was available.
See also Natural Rubber Imports by Country, Thailand’s Top 10 Exports and Thailand’s Top Trading Partners
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on June 15, 2021
Global Rubber Markets (GRM), Bridgestone ranks as world’s top tire producer again (September 8, 2016). Accessed on June 15, 2021
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on June 15, 2021
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on June 15, 2021
Wikipedia, Natural rubber. Accessed on June 15, 2021
Zepol’s company summary highlights by HTS code. Accessed on June 15, 2021
