Natural rubber exports from Ivory Coast remained stable in the first five months of the year.

Ivory Coast exported 749,000 tons of natural rubber were produced in the first five months of 2026, a volume only 0.3% lower than… 751,000 tons were shipped in the same period last year, according to data released by the local government.

In May alone, Ivorian shipments of the commodity fell 18.8% compared to April and 8.1% compared to the same period in 2025. May was the first month in which the new Chinese zero-tariff policy came into effect, which exempted imports from 53 African nations. including Ivory Coast.

Currently, the country is the largest producer. Ivory Coast's natural rubber industry is a major player in the world and is already among the leading producers of rubber. In recent years, Ivory Coast's exports of the raw material have been steadily increasing, as farmers, motivated by the stability of financial returns, have replaced cocoa cultivation with rubber tree plantations.

This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.