Tyre companies have raised their pitch for duty-waived natural rubber import, quoting latest data on production projections from Rubber Board of India. They have sought zero-duty imports equivalent to the projected domestic deficit in natural rubber. Natural rubber production-consumption gap estimated for the current fiscal touches 4.7 lakh tonne as per the Rubber Board data. This is a historic high, says the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA). Urgent measures to make natural rubber available to the industry are warranted, making imports easier, the ATMA has demanded in a letter to the ministry of commerce.
According to ATMA, from a shortfall of 60,000 tonne in 2011-12, the gap ballooned to 4. 1 lakh tonne in the last fiscal, which is projected to further grow to 4.7 lakh tonne in the current fiscal. “Domestic natural rubber production is projected to be 40% short of domestic requirement during the current financial year. Such levels of shortfall are a matter of grave concern for the industry,” Rajiv Budhraja, director general, ATMA, wrote in the communique to the ministry.
