Dec natural rubber imports jump 46 per cent

India's natural rubber imports in December jumped 46 per cent to 26,853 tonnes from a year earlier, the state-run Rubber Board said on Tuesday, as tyre makers increased purchases from overseas to gain from lower prices.

The country's output in the month eased 5.3 per cent on year to 108,000 tonnes, the board said in a statement.

India, the world's fourth-biggest producer of natural rubber, imports from Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.