Ruber Bounces To

Higher Levels

E price of natural rubber has :ontinued to rise during the nonth (up to 36.6 d per lb. Aus in) due to a shortage of syn c rubber and as an aftermath le UK dock strike. Those in ted in the industry are watch :eenly to see whether the price i at these levels—as it could do. ese scattered thoughts on the Jr situation have appeared in papers in various parts of the I recently: *M AMERICA: If and when private rise takes over the US Government synthetic plants (negotiations still umg) the price of synthetic will (This is good news to planters as ‘ice of synthetic puts a ceiling price stural rubber). •M CEYLON: The Prime Minister of l > Sir John Kotelawala, said that synthetic rubber industry in the I States is threatening to “ex

terminate natural rubber producers in Ceylon and other South-East Asian countries. If that happened “then there is no alternative to Communism in Asia”

FROM NEW YORK: Although The new process for exactly duplicating natural rubber synthetically has been perfected, at present it costs more to produce than plantation rubber.

FROM LONDON: World natural rubber production in October amounted to 160 00ft long tons.

Output for the first 10 months of 1954 was 1,460,000 tons.

Consumption in October amounted to 152,500 tons including estimated imports into China of 3,500 tons.

Total consumption for’ 10 months of 1954, 1,415,000 tons, including estimated imports into China of 55,000 tons and into the USSR of 425 tons.