ITRC Sepakat Mengurangi Ekspor Tahun 2009
Mencermati perkembangan harga karet alam yang terus menurun, maka ketiga utama penghasil karet alam dunia Thailand, Indonesia dan Malaysia yang tergabung dalam International Tripattete Rubber Council (ITRC) telah mengadakan pertemuan yang ke empat belas, di Lido Lake Resort Bogor tanggal 12-13 Desember 2008.
Hasil dari pertemuan tersebut sebagaimana diutarakan oleh Nurmala BT. Abdul Rahim, Deputy Secretary General General, Kementrian Perusahaan Perladangan dan Komoditas Malaysia yang bertindak sebagai ketua sidang pada pertemuan tersebut kepada wartawan sebagai berikut:
Pada pertemuan ke 14 ITRC, ke tiga negara sepakat untuk menurunkan volume ekspor selama tahun 2009 sebesar 915.000 ton menyusul pelemahan produksi industri yang berbahan baku karet alam dampak krisis global. Tiga negara menyepakati untuk menurunkan volume ekspor pada tahun depan (2009) sebesar 16 persen dari total ekspor karet tahun 2008 dari ketiga negara.
Nurmala menambahkan total pengurangan ekspor sebesar 915.000 ton terdiri dari 700.000 ton melalui skema kesepakatan ketiga negara (Agreed Tonnage Scheme/AETS), sedangkan 215.000 disebabkan oleh peremajaan pohon karet dengan penebangan pohon yang tidak produktif. Selama kuartal pertama tahun 2009, ekspor karet ketiga negara akan dikurangi sebanyak 270.000 ton atau 38,7 persen dari AETS. Pengurangan volume ekspor pada kuartal berikutnya akan diimplementasikan dan di evaluasi secara berkesinabungan selama tahun 2009.
Pada tanggal 29 Oktober 2008 ITRC telah mengeluarkan “Press Release” mengenai langkah yang ditempuh oleh ketiga negara anggota menghadapi penurunan harga karet alam dan pada pertemuan yang ke 14 ITRC ini juga di sampaikan Press Release secara resmi sebagai berikut:

PRESS STATEMENT
International Tripattete Rubber Council (ITRC)
13 Dcember 2008, Bogor, Indonesia
In view of the current natural rubber price, the 14th International Tripattete Rubber Council (ITRC) Meeting agreed that additional coordinated measures, bisides those announced on 29th October 2008, will be undertaken immdiately by Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.
This is to ensure that natural rubber price remain remunerative to over million smallholder hosehold and also fair for consumer relative to synthetic rubber price
The Measures are:
1. Implementation of Agreed Export Tonnage Scheme (AETS)
AETS will be implemented as 0f 1st January 2009. Under this scheme, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia will reduce their natural rubber exports. As a result, the market will be relived of a total of 915.000 tones of natural rubber in 2009, out of which 700.000 tones under AETS and 215.000 tones due to accelerated replanting under the Supply management Scheme (SMS).
For the first quarter of 2009, the export of natural rubber from the three countries will be reduced by 270.000 tones (38,57 %) of 700.000 tones). The balance of the AETS target will be implemented in subsequent quarters in 2009.

2. Export Price:
Currently, natural rubber is priced at a big discount to synthetic rubber. Hence, the Rubber Association of Indonesia (GAPKINDO), has already urged it’s members not to sell below US $ 1,37/kg. Both the Thai Rubber Association (TRA) and Federal of Rubber Trade Association of Malaysia (FRTAM) are adopting similar measure.
3. Non-Fulfillment of Contracts
The recent drastic decline of natural rubber price was aggravated by no fulfillment of contracts, which goes against the basic principle of contract sanctity.
Whilst the trader in the exporting countries had in late October 2008 tried to address this issued within the ambit of the ASEAN Rubber Business Council, albeit without much success, the Government of Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia view this issue very seriously.
If these unhealthy trade practice are allowed to continue unchecked, it will dampen the sentiment in the natural rubber market and undermine the century-old international rubber trade practices of relying on “words as their bonds”.
In this respect, the ITRC agreed that three Governments approach the contractual parties’ respective governments to seek their cooperation to curb these unhealthy practices.
Buyers and seller involved are also urged to resolve any can-fulfilled outstanding contracts urgently so that the international rubber trade can continue to operate orderly for long-term mutual benefit.
4. Ministerial Meeting
A Ministerial meeting will be held in January 2009 in Kuala Lumpur to adopt the following measures amongst other;
i. Revision of Reference Price.
ii. Strategic Market Operation.
iii. Assistance to smallholder.
iv. Non fulfillment of contracts.

Sumber: Bulettin Karet No 12 / Tahun XXX
[Dasril Daniel, Jambi, 10/02/09]