World rubber consumption continues to increase.

Worldwide use of natural and synthetic rubber grew for the fifth straight year in 2006 as 21.5 million metric tons were consumed, according to the International Rubber Study Group. Consumption totalled 21.5 mmt in 2004.

There was an actual drop in NR consumption in 2006 of 38,000 mt to 8.95 mmt that was more than offset by the increase in SR consumption of 607,000 mt to 12.6 mmt.

China was the top consuming nation last year at 5.3 mint, up from the 4.62 mmt it used in 2005. Synthetic rubber accounted for 3.1 mmt of the 2006 consumption figures. China has doubled its rubber consumption since 2000.

Rubber consumption was down over 300,000 mt in the U.S. in 2006, according to the IRSG. The U.S. consumption of 2.8 mmt is the lowest amount since 1991 when 2.5 mmt of rubber were used. The U.S. consumed 3.1 mmt in 2005. Consumption of both NR (1,000,000 mt), and SR (1,800,000 mt) wAS off from the previous year.

Rubber consumption increased slightly in Japan, according to THE IRSG, from 2.01 mmt in 2005 to 2.03 mint last year. Synthetic rubber accounted for 1.16 mmt of Japan's consumption in 2006.

India was the only other country to surpass one million metric tons of rubber consumption. India increased rubber usage by 57,000 mt in 2006 to 1.8 mmt. More than 75% of the rubber consumed in India is NR.

Germany ranks fifth in rubber consumption, according to the IRSG. Germany had a slight increase in usage in 2006 to 907,900 mt. Synthetic rubber accounted for 635,000 mt of that figure.

Brazil (712,400 mt), Russia (644,000 rot) and Malaysia (598,900 mt) posted slight gains for 2006 over 2005, while the Republic of Korea (698,400 mt), France (531,300 mt), Thailand (513,000 mt), Spain (464,400 mt) and Canada (369,100 mt) posted consumption declines.