Based on production & shipment value summary of rubber products in 2016 from Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the shipment value was 2 trillion 173 billion 716 million yen, decreased by 3.9% compared to last year.
By item, while other rubber products increased in volume as well as amount, automobile tire tubes, rubber belts, and rubber hoses all went below the previous year’s actual performance result in both volume and amount. Industrial rubber products increased in amount only.
The production number of automobile tire tubes from January to December was 146,889,000, decreased by 3.6% compared to the same period of last year. The detailed breakdown is as follows: trucks & buses were 9,889,000, decreased by 3.7%; passenger vehicles were 110,004,000, decreased by 3.4%; small trucks were 21,777,000, decreased by 5.9%; two-wheeled vehicles were 3,856,000, increased by 3.0%; specialized vehicles were 1,365,985, decreased by 4.9% compared to the same period of last year. Therefore, all tires except two-wheeled vehicles went below the previous year’s actual performance result.
Shipment value was 1 trillion 140 billion 631 million yen, decreased by 7.5% compared to the same period of last year. The detailed breakdown is as follows: trucks & buses were 238 billion 935 million yen, decreased by 7.0%; passenger vehicles were 561 billion 647 million yen, decreased by 6.6%; small trucks were 138 billion 798 million yen, decreased by 11.1% compared to the same period of last year.
Although production of automobiles gained upward momentum toward the end of the year, it went below the previous year’s actual performance result throughout the year due to slump in the first half. Production of tires also resulted in a fall.
Production volume (quantity of new rubbers) for rubber belts between January to December was 22,022 tons, decreased by 7.2% and the amount was 67 billion 161 million yen, decreased by 6.4% compared to the same period of last year.
While transmission belts went over the actual result of last year, both domestic and overseas demands for conveyor belts, which are leading products, were sluggish, and this affected the result.
Production volume for rubber hoses between January to December (quantity of new rubbers) was 34,621 tons, decreased by 1.6% and the amount was 135 billion 490 million yen, decreased by 0.5% compared to the same period of last year.
Although production between April and October shifted towards around 3% decrease, production for automobile hoses shifted upwards at year’s end, and the total shipment value for construction machines, where the majority of demands on high pressure hoses come from, resulted positively since November for 2 continuous months. Thus overall rubber hose production also showed recovery trend.
For others, production volume for industrial rubber products between January to December was 169,267 tons, decreased by 1.7% and the amount was 671 billion 772 million yen, increased by 0.9% compared to the same period of last year.
Shipment value in December by itself was 174 billion 844 million yen, increased by 0.2% compared to the same period of last year for the first time in 18 months.
The production number of automobile tire tubes was 10,861,000, decreased by 5.6% compared to the same period of last year. All tubes except for trucks & buses and special vehicles went below the previous year’s actual performance result. Shipment value was 83 billion 921 million yen, decreased by 6.9% compared to the same period of last year and showed a decrease for 21 months in a row.
For rubber belts, production volume was 1,686 tons, decreased by 3.2% compared to the same period of last year. Amount was 5 billion 811 million yen, increased by 0.2% compared to the same period of last year.
Production volume for rubber hoses was 2,886 tons, increased by 4.0% and the shipment value was 12 billion 596 million yen, increased by 13.1% compared to the same period of last year.
Production volume for industrial rubber products was 14,064 tons, increased by 3.1% and the amount was 58 billion 692 million yen, increased by 8.5% compared to the same period of last year.