Japan imported 4,536 mt of styrene-butadiene-rubber solids in July, up 22% from 3,732 mt in June but down 26% from 6,129 mt a year earlier, data released Friday by the Rubber Trade Association of Japan showed.
The country has imported 28,744 mt of SBR over the first seven months of 2013, down 15% from 33,687 mt in the corresponding period last year.
The higher SBR imports came after the country's auto production hit 910,114 units in July, up 13% from 808,557 units in June but down 1% from 923,519 units in July 2012, according to data released August 30 by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association.
Japan's SBR import trade data (mt):
SourceMayJuneJulyChange (%) South Korea2,1311,7892,615+46.1 Taiwan1,3111,2461,487+19.3 US356388167-57.2 Total*4,0943,7324,536+21.5
*Includes supply sources with relatively small or sporadic volumes
Synthetic rubber typically accounts for about a third of the composition of a pneumatic passenger car tire, and SBR is a general-purpose elastomer mainly used to make tires.
