MALAYSIA'S NATURAL RUBBER PRODUCTION RISES 18.7 PCT TO 36,005 TONNES IN FEBRUARY 2025 - DOSM

KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's natural rubber (NR) production rose by 18.7 per cent to 36,005 tonnes in February 2025, up from 30,342 tonnes in January 2025, according to the Department of Statistics, Malaysia (DOSM).

Chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said that year-on-year (y-o-y), NR production increased by 21.3 per cent from 29,691 tonnes in February 2024, with the smallholders’ sector contributing 87.8 per cent, compared to 12.2 per cent from the estates sector.

“Total NR stocks in February 2025 rose by 16.2 per cent to 206,762 tonnes from 177,935 tonnes in January 2025. Rubber processors factory accounted for 88.2 per cent of the stocks, followed by rubber consumers factory (11.7 per cent) and rubber estates (0.1 per cent),” he said in a statement today.

Mohd Uzir said NR exports for February 2025 amounted to 54,847 tonnes, up 23.7 per cent compared to 44,338 tonnes in January 2025, supported by NR-based products such as gloves, tyres, tubes and rubber thread.

“China remained the main destination for NR exports, accounting for 52.4 per cent of total exports in February 2025, followed by Germany (9.0 per cent), the United Arab Emirates (8.4 per cent), the United States (US) (4.8 per cent) and Brazil (3.0 per cent).

“Gloves were the main rubber-based exports, with a value of RM1.2 billion in February 2025, a decrease of 11.8 per cent compared to January 2025 (RM1.4 billion),” he said.

DOSM also reported that the average monthly price of concentrated latex rose by 2.2 per cent to 693.13 sen per kilogramme (kg) in February 2025, compared to 678.42 sen per kg in January, while scrap rubber prices increased by 3.7 per cent to 770.44 sen per kg from 743.27 sen previously.

It noted that rices for all Standard Malaysian Rubber (SMR) grades increased between 2.1 per cent and 3.3 per cent.

Meanwhile, the World Bank Commodity Price Data reported that the prices for Technically Specified Rubber rose by 3.7 per cent to US$2.01 per kg (US$1=RM4.41) from US$1.93 per kg, and the Singapore/Malaysia advanced 1.5 per cent (from US$2.37 per kg to US$2.41 per kg), DOSM shared.

According to the Malaysia Rubber Board Digest published in February 2025, the Kuala Lumpur Rubber Market showed a mixed trend during the review period, in tandem with the regional rubber futures market due to uncertainties surrounding the US trade tariffs, monetary policy direction and US-China trade relations.

Furthermore, in conjunction with the ASEAN-Malaysia 2025 chairmanship, DOSM will chair the 15th ASEAN Community Statistical System Committee, which aims to strengthen the statistical cooperation towards sustainable regional development.

-- BERNAMA