Kuala lumpur: Malaysia's natural rubber (NR) production experienced a notable increase of 37.3 per cent in December 2025, reaching 28,684 tonnes in comparison to November's 20,891 tonnes, as revealed by chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, year-on-year, NR production saw a decrease of 25.1 per cent compared to December 2024, when it was at 38,299 tonnes. Smallholders played a major role, contributing 87.2 per cent, while estates contributed 12.8 per cent. The total NR stocks in December 2025 also saw an increase by 1.4 per cent to 121,686 tonnes from November 2025's 120,030 tonnes.

Rubber processors' factories were responsible for 76.2 per cent of these stocks, with rubber consumers' factories contributing 23.6 per cent and rubber estates accounting for 0.2 per cent. Malaysia's NR exports in December 2025 amounted to 32,139 tonnes, marking a 12.7 per cent reduction from the previous month's 36,820 tonnes.

China continued to be the leading destination for NR exports, making up 49.9 per cent of the total exports in December 2025. Other significant destinations included Germany (16.4 per cent), the United Arab Emirates (4.8 per cent), Portugal (3.9 per cent), and Egypt (3.7 per cent). Key NR-based products like rubber gloves, tyres, tubes, and rubber thread contributed significantly to the export performance.

Rubber gloves were the primary export among rubber-based products, with a value of RM1.3 billion in December 2025, representing a 37.3 per cent increase from RM0.9 billion in November 2025. The average monthly price analysis indicated a 0.7 per cent rise in concentrated latex prices, reaching 576.20 sen per kg in December 2025 compared to 571.93 sen/kg in November 2025. Scrap prices increased by 0.4 per cent to 592.08 sen/kg from the prior month's 589.83 sen/kg. Various grades of Standard Malaysian Rubber also experienced an increase, ranging from 0.3 per cent to 0.7 per cent.