The price of natural rubber has risen, how will the bicycle tire industry respond?

The price of natural rubber has risen, how will the bicycle tire industry respond?

Natural rubber price increases have passed through to the bicycle retail market, with tire retail prices generally rising by 2% to 10%.  

In 2026, natural rubber prices continued to climb, reaching a high of 17,860 yuan per ton for the domestic main contract as of early June—nearly a 30% year-on-year increase and the highest level in nearly five years. 

Due to aging rubber trees and declining production in Southeast Asia, combined with the impact of El Niño weather patterns and rising demand for tires driven by new energy vehicles, the supply-demand gap for natural rubber continues to widen. This has rapidly passed cost pressures on to the bicycle tire industry: over 80 tire manufacturers have already issued price increase notices, raising prices for economy bicycle tires by 30–50 yuan per unit and mid-to-high-end sports tires by 100–200 yuan. Industry insiders expect another round of price adjustments in the second half of the year if raw material prices remain high.