Report Industry Investment Rating - Short - term: RU, NR Neutral with a Bullish Bias [4] - Medium - to - long - term: RU, NR Bearish [4] - Domestic Demand: Neutral [4] - Foreign Supply: Neutral with a Bearish Bias [4] - Social Inventory: Neutral with a Bearish Bias [4] Core Views of the Report - Short - term: Temporary disruptions in rubber tapping do not change the production increase expectation. Supply will return to normal when the weather improves, while demand lacks a core driver, showing a short - term bullish and long - term bearish trend. RU supply is tighter, and light - colored rubber inventory reduction is better than dark - colored rubber, so RU is stronger than NR [4]. - Medium - to - long - term: Tire demand is under pressure. All - steel tires may face a phased drag in the fourth quarter, and semi - steel tires are likely to be weak due to anti - dumping and demand overdraft [4]. Summary by Relevant Catalogs China's Situation - **Production**: In 2025, from January to July, China's natural rubber production totaled 39.51 million tons, a cumulative year - on - year increase of 9.42%. ANRPC expects China's annual production in 2025 to increase by 6% year - on - year, reaching 932,800 tons. The third - quarter typhoon affected Hainan more significantly than Yunnan. With better phenological conditions and new latex production capacity, the output of whole latex and concentrated latex is expected to increase year - on - year [17][24]. - **Import**: From January to July 2025, China's natural rubber imports (HS: 4001) totaled 1.667 million tons, a cumulative year - on - year increase of 35.54%. Tax - free imports from some least - developed countries have led to high inventory and slow de - stocking in Yunnan [29][33]. - **Inventory**: De - stocking is slow. If there is no significant de - stocking by the end of September, there may be a risk of re - stocking [35][44]. - **Downstream Demand** - **Gloves and Foam Products**: In the third quarter of 2025, glove factory orders improved in September but were still far from last year's level. Foam factories' production and orders seasonally recovered in the "Golden September" [48][49]. - **Tires** - **Semi - steel Tires**: From January to July 2025, the cumulative production was 456 million pieces, a year - on - year increase of 4.36%. Exports were 1.94 million tons, a year - on - year increase of 2.59%. Exports to the EU were 533,800 tons, a year - on - year increase of 12.03%. However, over - capacity, inventory accumulation, and anti - dumping measures may lead to weak demand in the fourth quarter [56]. - **All - steel Tires**: From January to August 2025, the cumulative production was 97.81 million pieces, a year - on - year increase of 2.8%. From January to July, exports were 2.79 million tons, a year - on - year increase of 6.52%. The fourth - quarter demand may be affected by reduced construction starts in the north and the quarterly payment period in the south [64][65]. - **Automobiles**: From January to August 2025, passenger car production and sales increased by 13.6% and 13.8% year - on - year respectively. Policies such as trade - in and exemption of vehicle purchase tax for new energy vehicles before December 31, 2025, support the tire supporting market, but the replacement market may be under pressure [60]. Thailand's Situation - **Production**: From January to July 2025, the cumulative production was 2.3062 million tons, a year - on - year increase of 2.83%. The opening of the tapping season was postponed to June. In the fourth quarter, normal phenological conditions are expected to yield 1.6058 million tons. In case of extreme climate, the output will be between 1.5242 - 1.5854 million tons. ANRPC expects Thailand's annual production in 2025 to increase by 1.2% year - on - year, reaching 4.8466 million tons [77][83]. - **Export and Policy**: There was a phenomenon of rush - exporting tires in Southeast Asia during the 90 - day buffer period given by the US. Thailand plans to export rubber to China via the Mekong River with zero import tax, starting with 400 tons of cup lump rubber in September and increasing to 2400 tons in October [86][90]. Indonesia's Situation - **Production**: In 2025, most areas had normal phenological conditions, but South Sumatra had much higher precipitation in the third quarter. From January to July 2025, the cumulative production was 1.3736 million tons, a year - on - year decrease of 1.56%. Limited by old tree age, production has been declining in recent years. ANRPC expects Indonesia's annual production in 2025 to decrease by 9.8% year - on - year, reaching 2.0404 million tons [99][102]. Vietnam's Situation - **Production**: From January to July 2025, the production was 511,700 tons, a cumulative year - on - year decrease of 8.89%. The output has not met expectations since the start of tapping this year, and a decline is expected in the fourth quarter. ANRPC expects Vietnam's annual production in 2025 to decrease by 1.3% year - on - year, reaching 1.2797 million tons [117]. Cote d'Ivoire's Situation - **Production**: The single - yield level has room for improvement. The output in 2024 was about 1.662 million tons. Future production is expected to increase by 5% - 10% annually, with an estimated output of 1.775 - 1.8 million tons in 2025, or 1.78 - 2.03 million tons based on the growth rate [124]. - **Policy and Export**: Zero - tariff policies for African countries are expected to be implemented. After the policy is implemented, exports to China may increase from the current 315,300 tons per year to 324,900 - 448,200 tons per year [127].

Raw Materials and Spot Prices - As of August 7, cup rubber is priced at 48.30 THB/kg (+0.15), while latex is at 54.00 THB/kg (0). The purchasing price for Yunnan rubber is 14,300 CNY/ton (-100), and for Hainan fresh latex, it is 14,000 CNY/ton (+200). In Qingdao Free Trade Zone, Thai standard rubber is priced at 1,770 USD/ton, and Thai mixed rubber is at 14,350 CNY/ton (+50) [1]. Tire Production Rates and Inventory - As of August 7, the capacity utilization rate for Chinese semi-steel tire sample enterprises is 69.71%, down 0.27 percentage points month-on-month and down 9.93 percentage points year-on-year. Some semi-steel tire companies have reduced production, impacting overall capacity utilization [1]. - The capacity utilization rate for Chinese all-steel tire sample enterprises is 60.06%, up 0.80 percentage points month-on-month and up 0.73 percentage points year-on-year. Some companies resumed operations after maintenance, while others faced shortages, leading to a slight increase in overall capacity utilization [1]. - In Shandong, the finished product inventory for tire sample enterprises shows mixed trends. As of August 7, the average inventory turnover days for semi-steel tire sample enterprises is 46.45 days, up 0.81 days month-on-month and up 9.50 days year-on-year. For all-steel tire sample enterprises, the average inventory turnover days is 39.37 days, down 0.08 days month-on-month and down 3.66 days year-on-year [1]. Tire Import Data - According to QinRex, in the first half of 2025, the U.S. imported a total of 14,343 million tires, an increase of 6.8% year-on-year. Passenger car tire imports rose by 3% to 8,489 million, while truck and bus tire imports increased by 10% to 3,232 million. However, aircraft tire imports decreased by 13% to 132,000, and motorcycle tire imports increased by 22% to 188,000 [2]. - In the same period, U.S. imports of tires from China totaled 12.24 million, a decrease of 4.4% year-on-year, with passenger car tire imports down 35% to 510,000 and truck and bus tire imports down 16% to 700,000 [2]. - U.S. imports of tires from Thailand reached 36.54 million, an increase of 12% year-on-year, with passenger car tires at 22.16 million (up 9%) and truck and bus tires at 8.42 million (down 1.3%) [2]. Market Dynamics - On the supply side, labor returning to Cambodia and disruptions in rubber tapping in Thailand are expected to strengthen raw material procurement prices. On the demand side, replacement demand is performing reasonably well, and with the implementation of various pricing policies by companies, market trading activity is expected to increase. Additionally, as winter snow tires enter the stocking phase for agents, order activity is anticipated to gradually rise in the next cycle [2].

Report Summary - The rubber market rebounded this week due to improved macro - sentiment, but the rebound was limited by fundamental pressures. The raw material cost support weakened, and the downstream tire demand was expected to be weak. The price was supported below by short - term macro - sentiment improvement, and future focus should be on weather and tire demand changes [6]. Market Focus Positive Factors - In May, the retail sales of the national passenger car market were 1.93 million, a year - on - year increase of 13% and a month - on - month increase of 10%. The cumulative retail sales this year were 8.802 million, a year - on - year increase of 9%. The wholesale volume of national passenger car manufacturers was 2.329 million, a year - on - year increase of 14% and a month - on - month increase of 6%. The cumulative wholesale volume this year was 10.797 million, a year - on - year increase of 12%. The auto consumption index in May 2025 was 81.6, slightly higher than the previous month, and the market in June was expected to be basically flat or slightly increase compared with May [7]. - The weekly rainfall in the world's main natural rubber producing areas decreased, and the rainfall in Southeast Asian producing areas in the next two weeks would also decrease, reducing the impact on rubber tapping [7]. - The call between Chinese and US leaders improved the macro - atmosphere [7][10]. - The probability that the Fed would keep interest rates unchanged in June was 97.5%, and the probability of a 25 - basis - point cut was 2.5%. In July, the probability of keeping interest rates unchanged was 67.3%, the probability of a cumulative 25 - basis - point cut was 32.0%, and the probability of a cumulative 50 - basis - point cut was 0.8% [7]. Negative Factors - The price of natural rubber raw materials weakened [7]. - The inventory in Qingdao decreased slightly [7]. - The price of butadiene, the raw material of butadiene rubber, was weakly stable [7]. - Butadiene rubber traders reduced their inventory slightly, while factories showed a trend of inventory accumulation [7]. - The overall capacity utilization rate of tires declined [7]. Multi - Empty Focus Bullish Factors - The call between Chinese and US leaders improved the macro - atmosphere [10]. Bearish Factors - The capacity utilization rate of tire enterprises was weak [10]. - The expectation of rubber tapping recovery weakened the support of natural rubber raw materials [10]. Data Analysis Natural Rubber Raw Material Price - As of June 5, the price of fresh glue in Thailand was 56 Thai baht/kg, the cup - lump price was 44.7 Thai baht/kg, and the glue price in Yunnan, China was 12,700 yuan/ton. The price of raw materials at home and abroad decreased compared with the previous week, and the cost support of rubber weakened [12]. Qingdao Inventory - As of the week of May 30, the spot inventory in Qingdao Free Trade Zone was 86,887 tons, a decrease of 3,607 tons, and the general trade spot inventory was 522,778 tons, a decrease of 1,312 tons. The downstream restocked before the Dragon Boat Festival, driving a slight reduction in inventory [13]. Butadiene Price - This week, the domestic butadiene market fell slightly and then stabilized. The demand side dragged down the market, but some device overhauls and limited imports supported the market. As of June 5, the delivered price in the central Shandong region was about 9,400 yuan/ton, and the ex - tank price in the main ports of East China was about 9,200 - 9,300 yuan/ton. As of the week of June 6, 2025, the theoretical production loss of butadiene rubber was 934.2857 yuan/ton, and the price decline increased the loss of production enterprises [15]. Butadiene Rubber Inventory - As of the week of June 6, the factory inventory of butadiene rubber was 28,300 tons, an increase of 200 tons from the previous week, and the trader inventory was 5,800 tons, a decrease of 680 tons from the previous week. The downstream restocking enthusiasm was not high [17]. Tire Capacity Utilization - As of the week of June 6, 2025, the capacity utilization rate of all - steel tires was 55.65%, a decrease of 5.15% from the previous week, and the available inventory days in Shandong factories were 41.87 days, a decrease of 0.09 days. The capacity utilization rate of semi - steel tires was 64.05%, a decrease of 8.46% from the previous week, and the available inventory days in Shandong factories were 45.84 days, a decrease of 0.38 days. Affected by the Dragon Boat Festival, the capacity utilization rate decreased. The replacement demand for all - steel tires may increase with rising temperatures, but the space was limited due to low freight prices. The inventory structure of all - steel tire enterprises improved compared with last year, while the inventory reduction of semi - steel tire enterprises was still difficult [19]. Contract Spread - As of June 5, the spread of the "RU - NR" September contract showed a convergence trend, and the spread of the "NR - BR" September contract fluctuated within a range [21]. Market Outlook - The future tire demand is expected to be weak, and the capacity utilization rate of tire enterprises is difficult to reach the high level of the same period last year. The cost support of raw materials has weakened, but the macro - sentiment has been improved by the call between Chinese and US leaders. Overall, the downstream demand is weaker than last year, limiting the upside of prices. The raw material support has weakened in the short term, but the prices are supported below by short - term macro - sentiment improvement. Future focus should be on weather and tire demand changes [25].