The sixth Annual Rubber Conference of the
Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries started at Galadari Hotel in
Colombo. More than 119 representatives from eleven countries are participating
in the Conference. Sri Lankan Plantation Industries Ministry sources said that
the objectives of the conference is to improve productivity, reduce cost of
production, promote value added rubber products, and generate additional
revenue sources related to the rubber sector, encourage manufacturing economic
friendly natural rubber products and enhance the sustainability of the natural
rubber industry.
Replacement market will continue to be strong
over the next couple of years. Around
70.72 lakh passenger vehicles and nearly 19 lakh commercial vehicles have been
added to the Indian roads during 2010-2012, whose tyres will be due for
replacement in the near future.
Due to shortage and low production levels of
natural rubber, tyre manufacturers have imported around 135,000 tonnes of
rubber so far. Falling rubber prices have created panic among rubber growers
who feel that import of rubber has worsened the situation and has urged the
Union government to hike import duty and check duty-free imports. While addressing
a rubber grower’s dharna before the head office of the Rubber Board at
Kottayam, Jose K. Mani, MP, urged the government to ban import of rubber for at
least a year to tide over the crisis. But Automotive Tyre Manufacturers
Association (ATMA) clarified that the natural rubber being imported now was in
fact contracted four to eight weeks ago when production dropped drastically in
the country.
All India Rubber Industries Association and ATMA
are strongly against this and demanded not to increase the duty and allow duty free
import up to 200,000 tonnes during 2013-14. Even at higher prices, rubber was
not available in the domestic markets and suggested import was a must for the
survival of industries. Any hike in the natural rubber import duty will choke
the growth of the industry, which was already passing through a difficult phase
due to a slowdown in the auto industry.
Today, RSS4 grade closed at `.166.50
a kg at Kottayam, while RSS3 grade closed at `.156.66 a kg at
Bangkok, Malaysian SMR20 closed at `.145.26 a kg.
What
our readers say: http://rubber4u.com/Public/Views.pdf
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