Rubber has once again become a strategically important raw material for the European Union

The European Tire and Rubber Manufacturers Association (ETRMA) welcomed the decision of the European Union to include natural rubber in its list of strategically important raw materials.

In a September 14 statement, the Association endorsed the decision, saying it "supports the industry's efforts to diversify the supply of this critical raw material for the European tire and rubber industry." The region's rubber industry seeks to diversify its supply by using sources other than traditional producing countries, as well as by developing sources of “alternative” natural rubber, including dandelion.

This is the second time that natural rubber has been listed as a critical raw material in the EU. This raw material was first added to the list in 2017 for a period of three years.

“Recognizing natural rubber as a critical raw material for the second time is of great importance to our industry,” said ETRMA General Secretary Fazilet Cinaralp.

According to ETRMA, the tire industry consumes about 76% of all natural rubber produced in the world. These raw materials are not produced or processed in the EU, so the region is completely dependent on imports, mainly from Southeast Asia.

Efforts to diversify the sources of these raw materials are gradually bearing fruit - for example, according to ETRMA, to date, more than 20% of natural rubber used in the EU comes from Africa. The industry is also exploring the possibility of using natural rubber from dandelion and guayula in both tires and other rubber products.

“However, despite this progress, the sustainable supply of natural rubber remains a challenge,” the association concludes.