KL 5th largest rubber consumer<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia, once the world's top natural
\nrubber producer, has emerged as the world's fifth largest
\nconsumer of the commodity as it focuses more on developing
\nrubber-based products, officials said.<\/p>\n
Domestic consumption of natural rubber in the country rose 8.5
\npercent to 291,249 tons in 1994 from 268,553 tons a year earlier,
\nsaid Arshad Ayub, the president of the Malaysian Rubber Products
\nManufacturers Association.<\/p>\n
\"At this level of rubber utilization, the industry has almost
\nachieved the consumption target of 300,000 tons of natural rubber
\na year, as set under the Industrial Master Plan,\" Arshad,
\nreferring to the country's industrial blueprint.<\/p>\n
Manufacturers of rubber products use about 26 percent of the
\nrubber produced in the country.<\/p>\n
Malaysia, which produced 1.66 million tons at its peak in
\n1988, lost its century-long pole position in world natural rubber
\nproduction in 1991 and is now the third largest producer after
\nThailand and Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Its output fell to about one million tons in 1994, compared
\nwith Thailand's 1.55 million tons and Indonesia's production of
\n1.3 million tons.<\/p>\n
Exports of rubber-based products rose by 12.2 percent to 3.35
\nbillion ringgit in 1994 from 2.99 billion ringgit in 1993, Arshad
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The industry, which is facing an acute labor crunch, has
\nresorted to the use of foreign labor for the next five years to
\nease the shortage, Arshad said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kl-5th-largest-rubber-consumer-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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