TheRU2405monthcontractopenedthisweekat13,800points,withamaximumof13,950pointsandaminimumof13,635points.Itclosedat13,875points,anincreaseof105points,withatradingvolumeof1,025,916handsandanopeninterestof160,139hands.

TheNR2403-monthcontractopenedthisweekat11,110points,withamaximumof11,385pointsandaminimumof11,070points.Itclosedat11,355points,anincreaseof285points,withatradingvolumeof257,150handsandanopeninterestof52,701hands.

Thisweek’snews:

1.Customs:China’simportsofprimary-shapedplasticsin2023willdecreaseby3.2%year-on-year

DatareleasedbytheGeneralAdministrationofCustomsofChinaonJanuary12showedthatChina’simportsofprimary-shapedplasticsinDecemberwere2.609milliontons;in2023,Chinaimportedatotalof29.604milliontonsofprimary-shapedplastics,adecreasefrom30.575milliontonsin20223.2%.

2.Non-ANRPCmemberspushupnaturalrubbersupplyforecasts

AccordingtoforeignnewsonJanuary9,theAssociationofNaturalRubberProducingCountries(ANRPC)raisedits2023naturalrubber(NR)productionforecastinitslatestmonthlyreport,mainlyduetostrongcontributionsfromnon-memberCôted'Ivoire.

InitsmonthlyreportinNovember,theassociationpredictedthatnaturalrubberproductionin2023isexpectedtoincreaseby3.5%year-on-yearto15.145milliontons,1.5%higherthanthepreviousforecast.

ANRPCsaidoutputgrowthwasmainlydueto"better-than-expected"outputinemergingnon-ANRPCmembers,particularlyCôted'IvoireinWestAfrica.

Atthesametime,theassociationnotedthatsomemembercountries,includingChinaandMalaysia,hadloweredtheirproductionforecastsdueto"unfavorableweatherconditions,reducedharvestinterest,defoliationdiseasesandotherfactors".

TheKualaLumpur-basedindustrybodynotedthatunderthisrevisedoutlook,ANRPCmembers'shareofglobalproductionhasfallento82.5%from84.1%.

In2023,thecontributionofnon-ANRPCmembersisexpectedtoincreaseby13.8%year-on-yearto2.653milliontons.Côted'Ivoireisexpectedtocontribute"morethanhalf",accordingtoANRPC'smonthlyreport.

3.China’sautomobileproductionandsalesexceeded30millionunitsforthefirsttime,settingarecordhigh

DatareleasedbytheChinaAssociationofAutomobileManufacturerstoday(11th)showsthatin2023,China’sautomobileproductionandsaleswillbothexceed30millionunitsforthefirsttime,settingarecordhigh.Amongthem,4.91millionunitswillbeexported,anditisexpectedtobecometheworld’snumberoneautomobileexporter.

In2023,China'sautomobileproductionandsaleswillreach30.161millionunitsand30.094millionunitsrespectively,ayear-on-yearincreaseof11.6%and12%respectively,ofwhich4.91millionvehicleswillbeexported,ayear-on-yearincreaseof58%.In2022,Chinawillbecometheworld'ssecondlargestautomobileexporter.

4.RetailsalesofChina’spassengercarmarketwillincreaseby5.6%year-on-yearin2023

ThelatestdatareleasedbythePassengerCarAssociationshowsthatinDecember2023,thepassengercarmarketretailed2.353millionunits,ayear-on-yearincreaseof8.5%,andamonth-on-monthincreaseof13.1%.Thecumulativeretailsalesforthewholeyearwere21.699millionunits,ayear-on-yearincreaseof5.6%.Thereasonwhytheretailsalesofthepassengercarmarketstrengthenedsignificantlymonth-on-monthinDecemberwasmainlyduetothejointpromotionofcarcompanies'year-endsprintandlocalconsumption-promotingmeasures.

FromtheperspectiveofthePassengerCarAssociation,2023willbeamiracleyearforChineseautomobiles.Carsaleswillexceed30millionunits,andpassengercarwholesaleandexportswillhitnewhighs,makingeveryonere-recognizethepotentialandmarketdevelopmentspaceofChina'sautomobileindustry.“Withthecontinuedcontributionofelectrificationtransformationandexportgrowth,webelievethatitwillbeatrendforChina’sautomobileproductionandsalestoexceed40millionunitsinthefuture.”