Since July rubber export prices have bounced back strongly after remaining low for long, the Vietnam Rubber Association said.

At the beginning of August, the price at the Mong Cai Border Gate in the northern province of Quang Ninh touched US$1700 a ton, $200 higher than in July and $450 higher than in June.

China's plastics industry is expecting a new wave of market recovery after witnessing healthy progress in the first half of the year.

According to a recent market report produced jointly by China National Light Industry Information Center (CNLIIC), China Plastics Processing Industry Association (CPPIA) and Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE), production volumes, sales, imports/exports and company efficiency have been improving steadily in the first half of this year.