This year’s total exports of natural rubber are expected to reach 4.27 million tonnes, up 3.41 per cent from last year, said Alongkorn Ponlaboot, citing the Rubber Authority of Thailand. In the first half, Thailand exported 167.2 billion baht of natural rubber and rubber products, he added. Almost half (49 per cent) of the exports went to China, which is the largest market for Thailand’s rubber and rubber products, said Democrat Party deputy leader Alongkorn, who also chairs the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry’s committee monitoring rubber prices. Between January and June, China imported 1.42 million tonnes of natural and synthetic rubber from Thailand, up 5.37 per cent from last year.
