U.S. exports of Synthetic Rubber (Vulcanizable Elastomers) (NAICS 325212) totaled $448.9M in August 2026.
Importers of Synthetic Rubber (Vulcanizable Elastomers) paid $25.8M in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 10.98% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule.
Last updated: August 2026 dataVulcanizable elastomers — including styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), polybutadiene, neoprene, nitrile rubber (NBR), and EPDM — are classified in HTS Chapter 40 and serve as critical inputs for tire manufacturing, automotive seals, industrial hose, and footwear. The defining classification criterion is vulcanizability: the material must be capable of irreversible cross-linking under heat or chemical treatment to qualify as synthetic rubber rather than a thermoplastic elastomer. Trade professionals should note that certain grades sourced from China carry Section 301 exposure, and antidumping orders have historically targeted specific elastomer types.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
6.3K import shipments a month
The key test is vulcanizability: synthetic rubbers under HTS Chapter 40 must be capable of irreversible cross-linking (vulcanization). Thermoplastic elastomers, which soften reversibly on heating, are generally classified in Chapter 39 as plastics. Importers of borderline materials should obtain a binding ruling from CBP to avoid misclassification penalties.
Tire and automotive parts manufacturing accounts for the largest share of demand, followed by industrial hose and belting, seals and gaskets, and footwear. Supply-chain disruptions in any of these downstream sectors tend to create rapid shifts in import volumes and sourcing patterns for specific elastomer grades.
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National industry 2 of 2 in naics industry 32521
National industry 325212 · $448.9M of $4.0B
Exports · August 2026
destination
customs district
Census does not publish district detail for this classification system.
origin
Census publishes state breakdowns for NAICS to the 4-digit level only. See NAICS 3252 for those.
entry
Census does not publish port detail for this classification system.
ImportsExports
Imports
$239.4MYoY · free account
Exports
$448.9MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $2.6B of Synthetic Rubber (Vulcanizable Elastomers) and exported $4.9B.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.