Rubber Shortage?

[66ChargerHI-PO]

NOTE- I do NOT want this to get political. But is this true, has anyone heard about it before? I just came from tractor supply looking for a tire tube in my size that they did not have, the worker tried to order it from another store but could not. He says his dm says that there is a rubber shortage that was said to be at the beginning of the year. This is a first for me hearing of this. Does this mean tire prices will go through the roof now.

 

[YY1]

Great.

 

[XS22J8R]

I haven’t heard of that and you’d think if it started nearly a year ago we’d have heard.
20 years ago I worked for less than a year at an automotive seal manufacturer. One thing I was told when I worked there was that natural rubber is not used very much anymore. Most “rubber” products including tires are made of synthetic compounds. “Rubber” is mostly just a generic term people use for elastic materials.

 

[VANDAN]

Could be just the manufacturer/supplier has had trouble at their end ? Hasn't been any shortages from around here...

 

[ckessel]

I saw "rubber shortage" and it made me wonder if some sailors just got back from a year plus deployment.

 

[MarPar]

I saw "rubber shortage" and it made me wonder if some sailors just got back from a year plus deployment.

 

[MarPar]

NOTE- I do NOT want this to get political. But is this true, has anyone heard about it before? I just came from tractor supply looking for a tire tube in my size that they did not have, the worker tried to order it from another store but could not. He says his dm says that there is a rubber shortage that was said to be at the beginning of the year. This is a first for me hearing of this. Does this mean tire prices will go through the roof now.

Could it just be a lazy employee?

 

[66ChargerHI-PO]

Could be just the manufacturer/supplier has had trouble at their end ? Hasn't been any shortages from around here...

Possibly I guess, as I remember him mentioning that

 

[66ChargerHI-PO]

Could it just be a lazy employee?

Possibly, as the employee called the only store that had them and they said they did not have them when the website says they do… urgh, does anyone know what they are doin these days

 

[Richard Cranium]

This needs looking into.

 

[DeltaV]

Natural rubber production is expected to be below demand for the fifth year in a row in 2025. According to the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC), global natural rubber production is likely to rise 0.3% in 2025. However, worldwide demand is expected to far outstrip this number, at an estimated 1.8%.

Why is the global rubber market likely to see shortages in 2025? | ANRPC - 2023

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Modern tires use both synthetic and natural rubber:

60% of rubber used in the tire industry is synthetic rubber, produced from petroleum-derived hydrocarbons, although natural rubber is still necessary for the remaining 40%.

Synthetic elastomers deform under stress and return to their original shape when the stress is removed (hysteresis).This property is extremely valuable for the manufacture of high-grip tires.

Synthetic rubber also provides other specific properties, most notably in the areas of longevity and rolling resistance. It’s mainly used for passenger car and motorcycle tire as it gives them good grip performances.

Materials.

Similarly, inner tubes are a blend too.