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2026 WEEK 11 MATERIAL PRICE IN CHINA
For rubber and tire industry.
DH MKT TEAM
3/16/20261 min read
Week 11 Market Commentary
In Week 11, the rubber and elastomer market showed a clear rebound driven by upstream raw materials. Butadiene prices surged sharply, providing strong cost support to the synthetic rubber chain. As a result, BR (BR9000), SBR (1712, 2564S) and SBS/SEBS prices moved noticeably higher, with some grades recording week-on-week increases close to or exceeding the RMB 1,000/mt level.
In the natural rubber (NR) segment, prices also trended firmer. RSS3, SCRWF and SVR3L all posted moderate gains, while STR20 MIX in bonded zones remained relatively stable but well supported. The overall NR market sentiment improved alongside rising upstream costs.
On the downstream side, tire prices remained largely unchanged, indicating limited immediate pass-through. However, with both NR and synthetic rubber costs rising simultaneously, cost pressure on tire manufacturers is clearly accumulating, and margins are expected to come under increasing strain if raw material prices remain elevated in the coming weeks.