332 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[March 1. 1914. 



Review of the Crude Rubber Market. 



FEBRUARY has practically displayed little alteration in the 

 London price of fine Para, which stood on January 23 at 

 2s. 2d. (77.03 cents), and remained during the month fol- 

 lowing in close pro.ximity to that figure. The highest point 

 reached was 3s. 2'4d. (78.04 cents) on February 9. and the lowest 

 3.5. O-Jid. (74.50 cents) on the 19th. At time of writing this re- 

 view it stands at 3s. Oj-^d. (74.50 cents). As the extreme fluc- 

 tuation was l^id. (3}/i cents) per pound, the opposing forces 

 were thus pretty evenly balanced. A short interest has been 

 spoken of as imparting strength to the market. Demand has 

 been largely confined to immediate requirements. 



Plantation rubber stood on January 23 at 2s. 43^d. (58.28 cents), 

 and on February 2 at 2^. 5-)4d. (60.31 cents). It varied during 

 February between the last-named price and 2s. 7d. (62.84 cents). 

 The highest point reached was 2s. 7d. (62.84 cents) on tlie 10th, 

 and the lowest, 2s. 5d. (58.79 cents) on the 20th. 



The plantation rubber auctions of January 27 and 28 included 

 971 tons, of which 737 came from the Straits and 234 from fey- 

 Ion. Standard crepe sold at 2d. (4 cents) to 2j4d. (5 cents) 

 above the prices of the previous fortnightly sales. This upward 

 movement formed the basis of the advances subsequently estab- 

 lished by the February continental auctions. It had been an- 

 ticipated that the quantity offered would reach 1,500 tons, but a 

 leading American manufacturer is said to have purchased the 

 difference of some 500 tons. 



At the auction of February 10. the entire quantity offered, 

 1,102 tons, was sold, with an average improvement of 2d. (4 

 cents) per pound. 



London statistics for January of Eastern plantation rubber 

 show the following results : 



Last year. This year. 



Stock, January 1, 1914 tons 2,016 3.310 



Arrivals, January 2.865 3.860 



Total 4.881 7,170 



Deliveries, January 2,184 3,360 



Stock, January 1 2.697 3,810 



The large increase in deliveries this year denotes activity of 

 trade in plantation rubber. 



The continental sales of January and February have been sig- 

 nalized by marked animation. At the Antwerp inscription sale of 

 January 21, out of 422 tons Congo. 345 tons were placed, at an 

 advance of 10 per cent. The whole of the 220 tons plantation 

 offered was sold with an average rise of about 5^4 per cent. It is 

 a noteworthy feature that this quantity forms a record for the 

 monthly Antwerp sales. For February 19 a sale had been an- 

 nounced of about 212 tons Congo and 80 tons plantation. On 

 January 21 the stock of rubber in Antwerp was 550 tons, against 

 282 tons at corresponding period of 1913. 



While an improvement had been anticipated, the results of the 

 Amsterdam sale of February 5 surpassed expectations. The en- 

 tire quantity offered was sold, consisting of 89 tons Hevca and 

 about 5 tons Ficus. Active demand from America and Europe 

 and the covering of the short interest were understood to have 

 been the causes of the advance of about 10 to 12 per cent. The 

 next sale is announced for March S. 



Stock, Februarj- 1, about 166 tons against 121 tons on Jan- 

 uary 1. 



On February 6 the Rotterdam sale of 65 tons displayed marked 

 activity, the whole of the offering, 45 tons Congo and 20 tons 



plantation, being sold about 10 per cent, above valuation. The 

 next sale has been fixed for March 6. 



The Havre sale of January 21 included about 51 tons, principally 

 Congo, of which 33 tons were sold witli an average advance of 

 10 per cent. 



Large American orders for crude rubber have contributed to 

 the marked animation of the Hamburg market. By the latest ac- 

 counts, opinions were divided as to the future, the idea having- 

 gained ground that the level of prices during the last five months 

 of 1913 had been unreasonably low. This view of the situation- 

 would justify tlie expectation of a gradual return to a point be- 

 tween the extreme levels of January and October, 1913. 



Nkw York Quot.mions. 

 Following are the quotations at New York one year ago, one 

 month ago, and February 27, the current date : 



P.\R.-\. March 1, '13. 



Islands, fine, new 91 @ 92 



Islands, fine, old 



Upriver, fine, new 96 @ 97 



L'priver, fine, old 



Islands, coarse, new.... 46^/2® 47 



Islands, coarse, old 



Upriver, coarse, new... 71 @ 72 



L'priver, coarse, old 



Cameta 48 ® 49 



Caucho (Peruvian) ball 7V/2@ 72>< 

 Caucho ( Peruvian) sheet 



Plantation Cevlons. 



Fine smoked sheet 101 @102 



Fine pale crepe 97 @ 98 



Fine sheets and biscuits. 96 (® 97 



Centrals. 



Esmeralda, sausage 



Guayaquil, strip 



Nicaragua, scrap 



Panama 



Mexican plantat'n sheet. 



Mexican, scrap 



Mexican, slab 



Mangabeira. sheet 



Guayule 



Balata, sheet 



Balata, block 



71 @ 72 

 69 ® 70 



African. 



Lopori, ball, prime 



Lopori, strip, prime.... 



Aruwimi 



Upper Congo, ball red. . 



Ikelemba 



Sierra Leone. 1st quality 



Massai. red 



Soudan Xi.ggers 



Cameroon, ball 



Benguela 



Madagascar, pinky 



.-\ccra. flake 



East Lvdian. 



Assam 



Pontianak 



Borneo 



82 @ 83 

 52 @ 53 



97 @ 98 



88 @ 89 



Feb. 1, '14. 

 64 @ 65 



75 @ 76 

 77 @ 80 

 28 @ 29 



44 @ 45 



Feb. 27, '14. 

 70 @ 71 



34 

 46 



@ 35 

 @ 47 



35 ® 36 

 45 @ 50 



62 @ 64 62 @ 63 

 61 @ 62 61 ® 62 



60 ® 61 61 @ 



38 @ 39 44 @ 45 

 36 @ 38 41 @ 



35 @ 37 42 @ 45 



53 ® 54 52 ® 53 



50 @ 52 49 ® 50 

 48 @ 52 48 ® 50 

 31 ® 34 31 @ 32 



20 @ 21 22 @ 23 



6 @6yi 6 @6J4 



