Cambodia's rubber exports reached $215 million in the first two months of 2021, a 90% increase from the same period last year. The trend continued into 2024, with exports rising despite a global fall in natural rubber production and rising prices. The Cambodian rubber market mainly consists of China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, India, and the EU. The positive change in natural rubber prices can be attributed to the unexpected tight supply of the commodity, as many NR-producing countries enter the seasonal leaf fall period. Factors such as Circular Leaf Fall Disease and adverse climate conditions have exacerbated supply challenges, compounded by the reluctance of rubber smallholders to harvest trees due to protracted low rubber prices. Thailand was the biggest producer of natural rubber last year, followed by Indonesia, Vietnam, China, India, Malaysia, and Cambodia. The market for natural rubber continues to face major challenges, including the less-than-expected growth of the Chinese economy, prolonged Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars, and high borrowing costs from interest rate hikes. (ICE BANGKOK)

Fonte notizia: Khmer Times