In May, the market for SBR was weak and declining. According to the Commodity Market Analysis System of SunSirs, as of May 31, the price of SBR 1502 was 11,375 RMB/ton, a decrease of 5.14% from 11,991 RMB/ton at the beginning of the month. The price of raw material butadiene had significantly decreased, the price of styrene had slightly declined, and the cost of SBR had significantly decreased; In May, downstream tire factories started operating with slight fluctuations, and the support for SBR was just in needed but still weak; In May, the transaction volume in the SBR market was flat, and the overall factory price of SBR was lowered by 400 RMB/ton, gradually shifting the focus of market quotation downward.
Analysis review
In May, the production of SBR slightly decreased, and the supply side slightly decreased compared to the previous period.
In May, the prices of butadiene and styrene as raw materials for SBR fell, resulting in a downward trend in the cost of SBR. According to the Commodity Market Analysis System of SunSirs, as of May 31, the price of butadiene was 6,640 RMB/ton, a decrease of 24.98% from 8,851 RMB/ton at the beginning of the month. As of May 31st, the price of styrene was 7,857 RMB/ton, a decrease of 5.42% from 8,307 RMB/ton at the beginning of the month.
In May, the natural rubber market initially rose and then fell, with a narrow range consolidation, providing slight support for SBR. According to the Commodity Market Analysis System of SunSirs, as of May 31, the price was at 11,610 RMB/ton, an increase of 1.04% from 11,490 RMB/ton at the beginning of the month, with a cycle high of 11,930 RMB/ton.
Demand side: The tire operating rate fluctuated slightly in May, with a rigid support for rubber but limited space for new additions. It is understood that as of late May 2023, the operating load of all steel tires for rubber tire enterprises in Shandong region was 64%; The operating load of semi steel tires for domestic rubber tire enterprises was 71%.
Market outlook
Analysts from SunSirs believe that in the short term, there is a certain level of support in the downstream market, coupled with a slight reduction in the supply of SBR, there is some support in the SBR market, but downstream tire production has not significantly improved. In addition, the cost side has significantly declined, and it is expected that the SBR market will be mainly weak and consolidated in the later stage.
