Natural rubber (NR) exports from India registered a quantum leap during last fiscal, with 20,030 tonnes leaving the country. By contrast, in 2015-16, exports were just 865 tonnes.
NR exports stood at 30,594 tonnes in 2012-13. But thereafter, owing to the relatively low price of NR in the international market, exports showed a declining trend.
In 2016-17, different types of NR, viz RSS (363 tonnes), ISNR (6,508 tonnes), latex (13,023 tonnes) and others (136 tonnes ) were exported to different countries. Majority of exports were to Germany, Brazil, the US, Italy, Turkey, Belgium, China, Egypt, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sweden, Nepal, and the UAE.
Branding of NR, initiated by the Rubber Board, helped Indian exporters to claim their market share, as the quality assurance helped boost buyers’ confidence.
About 65 per cent of the NR exported was under the brand ‘Indian Natural Rubber’.
Concentrated latex constituted 65 per cent of the total NR exports. The domestic demand for concentrated latex was in a declining trend but exports helped to stabilise the prices.
The Rubber Board is promoting export as a market intervention strategy to adjust imbalances in the domestic market owing to unscrupulous imports of rubber.
Exports during the peak production period of December 2016 to March 2017 helped the domestic market to maintain equilibrium.
