China, the United States and Japan remain the largest markets for rubber from North Sumatra despite decline in exports to the three countries, Indonesia’s Antara news agency reported.

"The United States and China suffered economic slowdown but the two countries including Japan are still the largest buyers of natural rubber from North Sumatra,” Secretary of the North Sumatra branch of the Indonesian Association of Rubber Companies (Gapkindo) Edy Irwansyah said.

North Sumatra is one of the largest producers and exporters of rubber in Indonesia, which is the world’s second largest producer of the commodity.

This year’s demand for rubber from the three countries are declining and the selling price is also lower, Edy said.

He attributed the decline in rubber demand to economic weakening besetting almost all countries.

North Sumatra exported around 291,446.95 tonnes of natural rubber in the first eight months of the year or slightly lower than 293, 824.97 tonnes in the same period last year.

Chairman of the North Sumatra Indonesian Association of Business People (Apindo) Parlindungan Purba said a decline has been recorded in the export volume and prices of a number of commodities as a result of the protracted global crisis.

He said North Sumatra has relied more on exports of primary commodities for foreign exchange income.

Source: globalrubbermarkets.com