橡胶周报：产能收紧，重心有望提高-20260118

1. Report Industry Investment Rating No information provided in the report. 2. Core Viewpoints of the Report - The supply - side is at a major cycle inflection point. Demand is supported by interest rate cuts, and policies and replacement cycles are favorable for heavy - truck demand. However, the real estate sector is a major drag. With relatively small supply - demand contradictions and current low valuations, inflation and the capacity cycle inflection point raise the lower limit. It is predicted that the center of rubber prices will increase. It is advisable to buy at an appropriate time, with the ru operating range expected to be between 14,000 - 18,000 yuan/ton, and the short - to - medium - term support for nr at 12,400 - 12,600 yuan/ton. Also, reduce the position of the long - ru and short - nr arbitrage strategy [6]. 3. Summary According to Relevant Catalogs 3.1 Macro - There are policy expectations for the real estate sector, which is yet to stabilize. Domestically, there is a trend against excessive competition. Abroad, the Fed's interest rate cuts are beneficial for the capital market, but the spill - over effects of a potential US recession should be guarded against. The US aims to increase its GDP to 40 trillion US dollars by 2030, which implies an average annual nominal GDP growth rate of about 5.5% in the next five years, and inflation will provide support [6]. 3.2 Supply - The major cycle inflection point has arrived. Raw materials are prone to price increases and difficult to decline. Rubber farmers' inventories were cleared at a high level in 2024 - 2025. High prices will stimulate output with high elasticity, while low prices may lead to reduced production or hoarding. Price has the greatest impact on output, followed by weather. The strength of raw materials and basis reflects the current strength, but the weak spread between latex and cup lump reflects the current weakness. Currently, the enthusiasm for rubber tapping is fair. This year, the phenology in natural rubber producing areas is average, with more rainfall and floods in southern Thailand in November, making raw materials relatively firm and the processing sector unprofitable. The global output is expected to increase by 0.75% this year. Crude oil is relatively sluggish, synthetic rubber is at a medium - low level relative to crude oil, and natural rubber is relatively high compared to synthetic rubber. The substitution space of synthetic rubber for natural rubber is approaching its peak [6]. 3.3 Inventory - Qingdao's inventory is around the middle level, having increased significantly compared to 2016. The inventory - to - sales ratio is not low, but considering the large increase in imports this year and the high proportion of exports from producing areas to China, the inventory is not considered high, with an overall neutral evaluation. Attention should be paid to the seasonal peak of inventory accumulation. Due to the diversion of concentrated latex and capacity issues in Thailand, Vietnam, and China, the output of full - latex is squeezed, and the exchange warehouse receipts are at a ten - year low. The inventory of butadiene rubber is relatively high. The inventory of full - steel truck tires is lower than last year, and the inventory of semi - steel tires is at a high level with marginal destocking. Considering the market expansion, it is also evaluated as neutral [6]. 3.4 Demand - In 2025, real estate data continued to deteriorate, dragging down the market. The current new construction area is less than one - third of the peak. Given the long real - estate cycle and the unfavorable population situation, a turnaround in the difficult situation will take time. Affected by the sharp decline in real - estate physical work, the recovery of road freight volume is difficult. It caught up with 2019 levels in 2024 and continued to grow in 2025. However, heavy - truck sales are still supported by policies and replacement cycles. Domestic passenger - car sales (including exports) performed well under policy stimulus, domestic substitution, and overseas market expansion, but the marginal growth rate has shown signs of fatigue. Overseas automobile sales are fluctuating weakly. Overseas markets rely more on tire replacement demand, and the Fed's interest rate cuts are conducive to stimulating demand. Rubber demand follows the macro - economy, and it is expected that global demand will grow by about 2% in 2026 [6]. 3.5 Market Data Analysis - Price Relationship: The basis of ru is at a multi - year high; the spread between full - latex and Thai mixed rubber is at a low level; the ru 9 - January spread is 680, stronger than last year; the nr continuous 1 - continuous 3 spread is around - 80 and weakening; the br continuous 1 - continuous 3 spread is around - 65; the spread between full - latex and 20 - type rubber has rebounded from a low level to a relatively high level in the past year; synthetic rubber Br is at a relatively low position compared to natural rubber [16][20][25]. - Raw Material Prices: Thai raw materials are consolidating with an upward bias. In 2025, Thai raw material prices were relatively strong compared to finished products, indicating a tightening of raw material production capacity. However, the continuous weakness of the spread between latex and cup lump suggests that supply problems are not significant [35]. - Processing Profits: Thai processing profits are low and still in the negative range, reflecting over - capacity in processing and tight raw materials in Thailand [40]. - Inventory Data: Qingdao's inventory is at a medium level, but considering imports, it is not overly high. Exchange ru warehouse receipts are at a ten - year low, and nr warehouse receipts are at a medium - low level. Synthetic rubber inventory is moderately high. Full - steel truck tire inventory days are at a medium - high level in recent years, and semi - steel tire inventory days are at a high level [46][56][66]. 3.6 Supply - Side Analysis - Production: According to ANRPC, the cumulative global natural rubber production in the first three quarters of this year is expected to increase by 2.3%, and consumption is expected to decrease by 1.5%. As of October, ANRPC's production increased slightly. China's natural rubber production in the first nine months of 2025 increased by over 7%. The global production is expected to increase by 0.75% this year. The global rubber production capacity is approaching the ceiling, and ANRPC's capacity will enter a deficit mode (excluding Africa, Myanmar, and Laos). High prices stimulate output, but low prices lead to reduced production. The price has the greatest impact on output, followed by weather [75][83]. - Imports: In 2024, rubber imports were lower than in previous years due to EU Eudr diversion, overseas restocking, and reduced arbitrage demand. In the first ten months of 2025, the cumulative imports of natural and synthetic rubber (including latex) in China increased by 15% compared to the same period in 2024. Currently, the implementation of EUDR has been postponed until the end of 2026 and 2027 [86]. 3.7 Demand - Side Analysis - Tire Industry: In 2025, the overall operating rate of full - steel truck tires was on the rise but still low, at a low level in recent years. The current operating rate of semi - steel tires is not high. As of November 2025, the cumulative year - on - year growth rate of tire outer - tube production was 0.6%, with the marginal growth rate continuing to decline and significantly slower than last year. The cumulative year - on - year growth rate of tire exports as of November was 3.8%, with the growth rate also marginally decreasing, performing relatively well but still lower than last year [107][111]. - Heavy - Trucks: Heavy - truck sales are still supported by policies and replacement cycles. Despite weak real - estate data, the trade - in policy boosts heavy - truck sales. In December 2025, China's heavy - truck market sold about 95,000 vehicles (wholesale basis, including exports and new - energy vehicles), a month - on - month decrease of about 16% compared to November 2025 and a year - on - year increase of about 13% compared to 84,200 vehicles in the same period last year. Large infrastructure projects such as the Yajiang Hydropower Station are beneficial for long - term heavy - truck demand [116]. - Passenger Cars: Domestic passenger - car sales (including exports) performed well under policy stimulus, domestic substitution, and overseas market expansion, but the marginal growth rate has shown signs of fatigue. Overseas automobile sales are fluctuating weakly [119]. - Infrastructure and Real Estate: The real - estate sector in 2025 continued to deteriorate, dragging down the market. The current new construction area is less than one - third of the peak. Given the long real - estate cycle and the unfavorable population situation, a turnaround will take time. Cement production had negative growth last year and is marginally improving this year, but as of November, the cumulative year - on - year negative growth has deepened. Transportation investment is an important measure for stable growth. Major infrastructure projects such as large - scale hydropower and railway projects have started, opening up new space for infrastructure construction [129][133][139]. - Freight Volume: Road freight volume is recovering with difficulty. It caught up with 2019 levels in 2024 and continued to grow in 2025. It is affected by the sharp decline in real - estate physical work and the substitution of railway and waterway transportation [145].