SNCP data shows mixed trends for rubber pricing

Vitry-sur-Seine, France – The recent spate of increases in prices for some raw materials could have peaked, new figures from the French rubber industry association the Syndicat National du Caoutchouc et des Polymères (SNCP) suggest.

On 1 Sept, natural rubber (solid type 5 CV) was trading 7.6 percentage points below its level at the start of July and about level with prices seen at the start of 2022.

September prices for styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) solid were recorded as trading at 5.8% above January levels –down from July when prices were 12.3% above the start-of-year reference.

SNCP’s September price for oil-extended EPDM was, meanwhile, up by 17.2 points on 1 Jan level. This marked a significant increase from 1 July, when prices were just 13.5% higher.

There was also a notable pick-up in chloroprene rubber prices at 20.5% above the 1 Jan level in September – compared to just 4.2% above the reference in July.  

By contrast, nitrile rubber was trading respectively at 21.4% higher than its 1 Jan level, cooling down slightly from the 27.9% increase seen in July.

There was, however, no let-up in the surge in carbon black (>= N300) prices: 46.6% higher on 1 Sept than at the start of Jan – compared to 38.4% higher on 1 July.