| Rubber quality,
productivity key to retaining edge in China Thai rubber
producers need to improve productivity and quality if they want
to continue being the top exporters to China, says Chutima Boonyaprapas,
the head of the Trade Negotiations Department at the Commerce Ministry.
While Thailand is the largest rubber supplier to China, Chinese
buyers could shift to Malaysia and Indonesia at any time if they
provide better quality products.
In the first half of this year, Thai exporters shipped 1.4 million
tonnes of rubber abroad, of which 300,000 tonnes went to China.
Indonesia exported 217,000 tonnes to China and Malaysia shipped
158,000 tonnes in the same period.
China is the world's largest rubber buyer, importing 700,000 tonnes
in the first half of this year.
A report from the China Rubber Industry Association says that rubber
consumption would reach 2.3 million tonnes by 2010, due to growing
demand in the auto industry. The country's current production capacity
is 750,000 tonnes but the government is attempting to increase local
supplies.
Ms Chutima said that Thailand in 2010 would have the capability
to export 2.6 million tonnes of rubber.
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