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):
| Source | May | June | July | Change (%) |
| South Korea | 2,131 | 1,789 | 2,615 | +46.1 |
| Taiwan | 1,311 | 1,246 | 1,487 | +19.3 |
| US | 356 | 388 | 167 | -57.2 |
| Total* | 4,094 | 3,732 | 4,536 | +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.
