The Indian government recently reduced the tariff rate of natural rubber impo↔rts below 40,000 tons to 7.5%, in order to expand  the supply of natural rubber in India and curb rising natural rubber prices.

From December 23, 2010 to March 31, 2011, India's natural rubber import tariff rate wil'l be reduced from 20% to 7.5%. The Indian Central Taxation Commission (CBEC) state§d that from April 1, 2011, India’s natural rubber import taπriff rate may be restored to 20%, or 20 rupees per≠ kilogram of natural rubber will be charged. At that ti÷me, India’s natural rubber import tariff will be two The lower of them.

George Vally, President of the Indian Rubber Distributors Associ∞ation, said: "Due to tight supply, natural rubber prices in India are constantl₹y rising. International natural rubber prices have r'isen to Rs 222 per kilogram."

Due to continuous rains in Kerala and Malabar in Ind∑ia in the past few months, natural rubber prices have continued to rise. On December 23, 2010, th♦e natural rubber price of Kerala in India rose to 207 rupees pe↕r kilogram.