KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 (Bernama) — Natural rubber exports in April rose 5.6 per cent to 64,524 tonnes versus the same period last year, the Statistics Department said Thursday.
On a month-on-month basis, the total natural rubber export decreased 7.5 per cent from March 2014.
Standard Malaysian Rubber contributed a total of 59,682 tonnes with 66.8 per cent of that comprising SMR20, the department said in a statement today.
Natural rubber was exported mainly to China (49.4 per cent), followed by Germany (12.9 per cent), Iran (5.3 per cent), the United States (4.5 per cent), Brazil (2.8 per cent), South Korea (2.7 per cent), Turkey (2.3 per cent) and South Africa (2.0 per cent).
Natural rubber imports stood at 36,261 tonnes and on a year-on-year basis it dropped 9.3 per cent while on a month-on-month basis, it dropped 0.4 per cent.
Production for the month under review totalled 73,180 tonnes, easing 15.4 per cent year-on-year, with the smallholding sector contributing 93.3 per cent, while the estate sector accounted for 6.7 per cent.
Kedah produced the highest volume of natural rubber among estates, accounting for 22.8 per cent, followed by Negeri Sembilan (17.4 per cent) and Johor (15.6 per cent), the department said.
Total domestic consumption in April increased five per cent, year-on-year, with the rubber gloves industry being the highest consuming industry at 69.4 per cent, followed by rubber thread (8.6 per cent) and tyre and tubes (7.6 per cent).
— BERNAMA