U.S. imports of Natural Rubber (End-Use 12050) totaled $112.2M in August 2026, imported from 45 countries.
Importers of Natural Rubber paid $156K in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 0.14% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule.
Last updated: August 2026 dataHevea brasiliensis-derived natural rubber, imported primarily in technically specified rubber (TSR) or ribbed smoked sheet (RSS) grades, is an essential input for tire manufacturing, industrial rubber goods, and medical products. Southeast Asia dominates global natural rubber production, and supply is highly sensitive to weather patterns, tapping labor availability, and disease pressure on rubber plantations — factors that create periodic price volatility independent of demand cycles. Importers should confirm that shipments comply with USDA APHIS regulations governing plant-based materials, particularly for forms that may carry soil or plant debris.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
1.7K import shipments a month
End-Use codes describe different products on the import and export sides. Cross-direction exports are not shown for this slug.
The two dominant internationally traded grades are Technically Specified Rubber (TSR, such as TSR 20) and Ribbed Smoked Sheet (RSS). TSR grades are defined by measurable physical and chemical properties and are preferred for industrial and tire applications requiring consistent performance; RSS grades are visually graded and used in specialty applications. The grade specified in the purchase contract determines the applicable HTS subheading and affects the duty rate, so accurate grade documentation is essential at entry.
South American Leaf Blight (SALB) and other fungal diseases can significantly reduce yields from rubber plantations, and any outbreak in major producing regions can tighten global supply with little warning. US importers relying on just-in-time inventory strategies for natural rubber are particularly exposed to these supply shocks, making forward contracting and safety stock management important risk mitigation tools.
Commodity 42 of 51 in category 1
Commodity 12050 · $112.2M of $63.1B
Imports · August 2026
origin
Thailand and Côte d'Ivoire together supply 59% of it.
customs district
Census does not publish district detail for this classification system.
destination
Census does not publish state detail for this classification system.
entry
Census does not publish port detail for this classification system.
Imports
Imports
$112.2MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $1.5B of Natural Rubber.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
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