BANGKOK : Thailand topped the list of rubber exporting countries in the first half of the year, with shipments of 2.19 million tonnes valued at 70.5 billion baht, the agriculture minister’s adviser revealed on Friday (Aug 12).

This year’s total exports of natural rubber are expected to reach 4.27 million tonnes, up 3.41 per cent from last year, said Alongkorn Ponlaboot, citing the Rubber Authority of Thailand.

In the first half, Thailand exported 167.2 billion baht of natural rubber and rubber products, he added.

Almost half (49 per cent) of the exports went to China, which is the largest market for Thailand’s rubber and rubber products, said Democrat Party deputy leader Alongkorn, who also chairs the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry’s committee monitoring rubber prices.

Between January and June, China imported 1.42 million tonnes of natural and synthetic rubber from Thailand, up 5.37 per cent from last year.

Malaysia was second on the list with 10 per cent, followed by the United States (7 per cent), Japan (6 per cent), and South Korea (4 per cent).

The Rubber Authority of Thailand estimates Thai rubber production this year will total 4.79 million tonnes, up 0.88 per cent from last year, he added.

Alongkorn on Thursday chaired an online meeting on the situation in the global rubber market. Also attending were senior officials from the Rubber Authority, Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, Commerce Ministry, and Thai agriculture attachés from across the world.

 - ANN