Thursday, June 28, 2012

NR weaken due to lack of demand and rising supplies


Automobile industry is the only consumer of tyres. The automobile industry has slumped with passenger car sales grinding to low single digit growth in 2012 due to hike in excise duty, increase in fuel prices, hardening interest rates and sluggishness in the economic environment. Car companies have, in recent times, announced production cuts to battle the demand slump and discounts and promotional packages are ruling the market to attract consumers into buying new cars.

The debt crisis in Europe and slowing growth in China are clouding market sentiment and has raised concerns that demand for rubber may slow. Dealers expect rubber consumption from tyre makers to drop in the coming months on lower demand from auto sector. Natural rubber prices in India are likely to weaken due to lack of demand and rising supplies and on the other hand Thailand’s plan to intervene in the market is seen limiting the downside in the international market. For the past few months tyre makers are buying less than normal from domestic market due to availability of rubber from imports. India's natural rubber imports in May rose to 18,419 tonnes from 16,293 tonnes a year ago. Now local supplies are improving due to rainfall in Kerala. Rubber experts expect the soft prices to continue globally for a while so tyre companies can look forward to some relief in their main raw material.

Today, in Kottayam, RSS-4 grade prices have closed at `.186.50 per kg. and RSS3 grade closed at `.185.93 a kg at Bangkok.

Read lot more in Rubber4U – 1st July 2012 issue

No comments:

Post a Comment