Rubber experiences continuous fluctuations downward; short-term recovery may require strong stimulation

In the field of synthetic rubber, in the short term, the futures prices of butadiene rubber are expected to remain volatile with a slight upward trend. Recently, the basis has remained negative, and in a futures premium pattern, caution is needed regarding the risk of price corrections. The full latex quotation for Kunming natural rubber is around 16,500 yuan/ton, with futures prices approaching the current spot prices. Although the fundamentals are long-term bullish, downstream performance is expected to improve in the short term. As of March 5, 2026, the operating load for fully steel radial tires at rubber tire companies in Shandong is 66.41%, up 34.11% from last week but down 2.35% from the same period last year. The operating load for semi-steel radial tires at domestic rubber tire companies is 73.52%, up 35.17% from last week but down 8.89% from the same period last year. If there are no news or capital inflows stimulating the natural rubber market, rubber may continue to fluctuate at low levels. It is recommended to keep an eye on international developments and the domestic Two Sessions. (Natural Rubber Network)