Natural rubber exports in March declined 3,981 tonnes or 5.4 per cent versus the same period a year ago, the Statistics Department said Monday.

On a month-on-month basis, total natural rubber exports decreased by 4,685 tonnes (-6.3 per cent) from February 2014.

Standard Malaysian Rubber (SMR) contributed 92.5 per cent to total exports, with 62 per cent of that comprising SMR 20, the department said in a statement here.

Natural rubber was exported mainly to China (52.4 per cent), followed by Germany (13.1 per cent), the United States (4.0 per cent), Brazil (2.8 per cent), South Korea (2.7 per cent), Iran (2.2 per cent), Turkey (2.0 per cent) and Portugal (2.0 per cent).

Imports on a year-to-year basis dipped 12,654 tonnes or 17.2 per cent, whilst month-on-month, it dropped 2,337 tonnes or 3.7 per cent.

Production for the month under review totalled 41,973 tonnes, easing 41.6 per cent year-on-year, with the smallholding sector at 93.1 per cent, while the estate sector only contributed 6.9 per cent.

Kedah produced the highest natural rubber among estates accounting for 20.4 per cent, followed by Perak (19.2 per cent) and Negeri Sembilan (17.3 per cent), the department said.

Total domestic consumption in March was 37,188 tonnes, down by 129 tonnes or 0.3 per cent, with the rubber gloves industry being the largest consuming sector at 69.7 per cent, followed by rubber thread (9.4 per cent) and tyre and tubes (7.5 per cent).