For the rubber industry,like virtually all other industrial manufacturing sectors,concern over the Covid-19 coronavirus strain has led to disruption in production and supply-chain operations,markets and,above all,to employees.To gauge the potential impact of the global pandemic on the European rubber industry,it is worth reviewing a survey of its Chinese counterpart,by the China Rubber Industry Association(CRIA).Carried out in mid-February,the CRIA study found that over 59% of China's rubber industry companies expected first-half revenue to fall by 10-30% due to the outbreak.Another 1 3% forecast a decline of 30-50%.Among the 250 survey respondents,53% believed their first-half profit would drop from 10-30% year-on-year;16% putting the likely earnings decrease at between 30% and 50%.On a better note,nearly 86% of the companies surveyed had already resumed production or planned to do so by the end of February.Nevertheless,42% expected capacity utilisation rates to be at least 20% lower than a year ago.
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