[09 Nov] China's Passenger Vehicle Sales Continue to Grow in October

China's auto market continued its robust growth in October, with monthly passenger vehicle sales jumped nearly 80 percent year on year to 923,154 units, China Daily reported on Saturday.
But on a month-to-month comparison, passenger vehicle sales in October dropped 8.1 percent from the previous month, according to figures released by China Passenger Car Association.
In the first 10 months, sales of cars, sports-utility vehicles, minivans and multi-purpose vehicles surged nearly 52.4 percent over the same period last year to nearly 8.08 million units.
"We expect full-year auto sales to touch 13.5 million with a year-on-year growth rate of 44 percent. That in turn, would make China the world's largest auto market for the whole year," said Rao Da, head of China Passenger Car Association.
In the first nine months, China's vehicle sales jumped 34 percent year on year to 9.66 million units. In breakdown, sales of passenger vehicles surged 42 percent to 7.24 million units while sales of commercial vehicles rose 15.6 percent to 2.42 million units.

(Source: irco.biz)

[07 Nov] Asia Rubber Futures Settle Up; Supply Expected Tight For 2 Years

Asian rubber futures settled higher Friday on supply concerns as heavy rains lashed Thailand and it was forecast that tight availability will continue for another two years.

Physical prices of USS3 grade raw material in the central markets of Thailand moved toward THB75 a kilogram again due to strong demand from rubber factories.

Tocom's benchmark April RSS3 contract settled Y2.6 higher at Y230.4/kg.

Prices were close to unchanged during the night session and the April contract ended at Y230.2/kg. Night session prices aren't included in intraday trading.

This year in Thailand, production is likely to fall to a multiyear low between 2 million and 2.5 million tons due to heavy rains, Department of Agriculture Director-General Somchai Charnnarongkul said earlier this week during a conference in Ho Chi Minh City.

Thailand's natural rubber production totaled 3 million tons in 2008.

Government and industry officials from Asia and around the world have gathered in Ho Chi Minh City for a six-day meeting organized by the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries, or ANRPC, to chart a course for the next year.

Officials from Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and India all have reported a decline in output this year due to adverse weather, including prolonged dryness, heavy rains and floods.

The global industry is at a low point in the rubber production cycle, as there was a large-scale replanting during 2005-2009 and these trees will begin to produce rubber only from 2012.

Feedback from member countries indicates total production is likely to be at least 6% lower this year, said ANRPC senior economist Jom Jacob. Natural rubber production was around 9.9 million metric tons in 2008.

In 2010 and 2011, production may hover between 9 million and 9.5 million tons, ANRPC Secretary General Djoko Damardjati said.

The benchmark January contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange settled CNY105 higher at CNY19,070/ton. China is the world's largest consumer of rubber by volume.

China's rubber stocks have almost trebled in the last four and a half months and continue to rise. As of Thursday, they were estimated at 120,697 tons in warehouses tracked by the Shanghai Futures Exchange.

On the Agricultural Futures Exchange of Thailand, the benchmark June RSS3 contract settled THB0.75 higher at THB80.65/kg.

Asian physical rubber prices were higher due to the movement of trucks getting affected in Thailand due to heavy rains. Demand is quite good, particularly in Europe, the U.S. and Japan, said an exporter in Singapore.

(Source: irco.biz)

Materials price in New York Mercantile Exchange - NYMEX on 09/11/2009

Caterogy	Price	Change
Crude Oil	78.32	+0.89
Brent Crude	75.87	-2.12
Heating Oil	2.0230	+0.0195
RBOB Gasoline	1.9446	+0.0203
Natural Gas	4.638	+0.043
Gold	1,100.3	+5.9
Silver	17.400	+0.005
Copper	2.9350	-0.0230

RSS3 Rubber Price in Agricultural Futures Exchange of Thailand - AFE on 09/11/2009

 (Baht/kg)

Contract Month	Prev.	Open	High	Low	Last	Change
12.2009	12.2009	81.00
01.2010	01.2010	80.75
02.2010	02.2010	79.30
03.2010	03.2010	79.40
04.2010	04.2010	80.00
05.2010	05.2010	80.40	80.60	80.75	80.60	80.70
06.2010	06.2010	80.65	80.95	81.10	80.70	80.90

Rubber Price in Malaysian Rubber Exchange - MRE on 09/11/2009

December	Sen/Kg		US Cents/Kg
	Buyers	Sellers	Buyers	Sellers
SMR CV	849.00	857.50	252.10	254.60
SMR L	815.00	823.00	242.00	244.35
SMR 5	-	814.50	-	241.85
SMR GP	-	811.50	-	240.95
SMR 10	796.50	804.50	236.50	238.85
SMR 20	794.50	802.50	235.90	238.25

Rubber Price Tokyo Commodity Exchange - Tocom on 09/11/2009

 (0.1 JPY/Kg)

Month	Last Settlement Price	Open	High	Low	Close	Change	Volume
11.2009	228.5	228.5	229.5	228.5	229.5	+1.0	3
12.2009	228.4	226.3	229.0	226.3	229.0	+0.6	10
01.2010	228.8	228.8	229.5	226.2	227.9	-0.9	99
02.2010	228.6	229.0	229.5	226.2	228.6	+0.0	105
03.2010	229.1	229.3	229.9	226.5	228.6	-0.5	1,228
04.2010	230.4	230.1	231.3	228.4	230.3	-0.1	3,676
Total							5,121

Rubber Price in ShangHai Futures Exchange - SFE on 09/11/2009

(CNY/ton)

Contract	Open	Low	High	Last	Change
11.2009	18385	18325	18435	18435	+15
01.2010	19050	18960	19120	19035	-35
03.2010	19385	19385	19550	19485	0
04.2010				19605	+15
05.2010	19720	19685	19790	19745	+20
06.2010				19830	+20
07.2010	19830	19790	19850	19850	+60
08.2010				19720	0
09.2010	19870	19870	19900	19900	+15
10.2010	19900	19895	19900	19895	+10