Published 15th June, 2014
Lubes production dipped month-to-month but should remain steady as demand grows
Data showed China's lubes production fell in April by 9.5% to 512,000 tons from March levels, but gained 1.8% from the same period in 2013.
According to analysts, March is typically a busy shopping season for Chinese consumers that drives up both the consumption and production of lubes products. Therefore a seasonal lull in April is not a sign of a general industry slowdown.
Despite a dip in consumer usage, consumption in the industrial sector actually rose during April as the government continues to push ahead with infrastructure and urbanisation projects.
Meanwhile, lubricants consumption during the first four months of the year rose 3% year-on-year to around 1.9m tons.